What is Preventive Care?
Just like we wear oven mitts before taking the pie out of the oven or change the oil in our cars periodically, preventive care is protection. We are protecting ourselves from illness or injury by taking appropriate steps before something bad happens.
Preventive care is important to protect against illness or injury that could set us back emotionally, mentally, and financially.
Why is Preventive Care Important?
Save Money
Anyone who has ever seen a hospital bill can tell you: Emergency visits are expensive. Having to get surgery can financially devastate a family. Preventive medicine allows you to get on top of an illness before it sends you to the ER or OR.
Live Longer
Studies have found that preventive care could save as many as two million lives a year. People who may not know about underlying conditions or understand how serious their conditions are can extend their lifespan for the low price of a few checkups.
Is Preventive Care Expensive?
We understand- health care is another expense you don’t need. This means preventive care can fall under “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
But just like car maintenance, waiting until there’s black smoke coming from under the hood and the car is shuddering might mean it’s too late. Regular tune-ups and diagnostic tests can uncover a small leak before it results in catastrophic engine failure.
While it may seem like another expense, spending 50$ here and there will save you money in the long run, before an emergency trip, surgery, or unseen chronic illness causes a crushing debt.
You may be eligible to have preventive tests covered by your Marketplace health plan or one of the many others that cover testing for certain age groups and illnesses.
The best way to find out if you’ll be covered is to give us a call with your insurance information and concerns. We’ll be able to tell you if your health plan is one of the many that covers the preventive test you need. You can call us, or book an appointment to come in for screening.
What Does Preventive Care Look Like?
Your primary care physician is the person you see for checkups and everyday health. They help with the daily maintenance of chronic conditions. They practice preventive health by asking questions about issues you may be having, and doing tests to see if there are problems. They may prescribe physical therapy, pharmaceuticals, or other options to stamp out illness or injury before it occurs.
If you don’t currently have a primary care physician, book an appointment. We’d love to see you for a check-up.
When something is going on that you can’t see internal medicine doctors evaluate, diagnose, and treat the problem. They’re also able to evaluate whether something may turn into a concern, and prescribe methods to stop that from happening.
Talk to our internal medicine doctors about your concerns, or book an appointment.
Illness and injury don't only affect your physical body. Mental health, including emotional concerns and behavioral concerns, is another aspect of overall health that needs to be watched. Talking about your mental health and receiving help with it can prevent a significant incident that may cost you more than a check-up.
Our behavioral health specialist is here to talk.
RELATED: American Cancer Society now recommends Colon Cancer screening at age 45! Find out why
Save Money, Live Longer, Be Happier
Preventive medicine is taking care of yourself BEFORE you get sick. It’s essential to keep you safe from diseases that can be physically and financially devastating. At Vantage Medical Associates, we want to help you prevent unnecessary medical expenses.
Give us a call or book an appointment online, and we’ll talk to you about your options to save money, live longer, and be happier.
