The Long Term Benefits of Preventative Care

While a long, healthy life is something everyone dreams of achieving, preventative care is something not everyone practices. It just never feels right to visit the doctor’s office when you are not sick or injured, does it? However, changing that mindset and

For example, certain annual screenings such as pap smears are now covered without the need of a co-payment by any insured person. Take 2 similar women both whom have the same health insurance. One woman visits her OBGYN for an annual pap smear while the other woman does not. The first woman finds out she has some precancerous cells in her uterus that need to be removed. Her doctor removes them and has them tested with the results proving all is well and no cancer is present. 

The second woman who never had her annual pap smear does not know anything could be wrong until she starts having cramps. She finds out that her precancerous cells have spread causing scarring and she is in need of surgery to have the scarring removed.

Which situation do you think cost more money? As with most conditions that are left untreated, the cost to try and fix the situation is almost always more than what is would have cost if preventative measures had been taken. The woman who visited the doctor in a preventative way escaped the problems of the second woman by preventatively having the cells removed. The second woman probably needed more medical attention which cost her insurance carrier (and her) more money. Surgery, hospital stays, medication, physical therapy, etc. can all cost a lot more than a simple yearly exam.

How long has it been since your last physical exam? While you are thinking of it right now, why not give your doctor a call and set up an appointment?