Regular meetings with your primary care doctor or primary care physician are important to ensure good health and wellness. Many people think that if they are healthy, they can skip the annual wellness visit, but this isn’t the case. If your health is important to you, wellness exams should be too.
What are wellness exams?
A wellness exam is a type of preventative care. Preventative healthcare focuses on maintaining wellness and stopping health problems before they occur. Instead of waiting until you have a health issue, you visit your physician to make sure that you’re still in good health, or to catch health problems in early stages.
Wellness visits or wellness exams are typically annual, and are separate from other medical visits related to illness or injury.
While wellness exams are usually covered by insurance, your insurance might not cover all expenses involved with the visit, such as labs or tests. Most insurance plans pay for one wellness exam each year, so be sure to take advantage of this. Insurance plans and coverage vary, so be sure to check with your policy.
What is included in a wellness exam?
Wellness visits basically provide your doctor with a status update on your overall health. They can help guide you to make choices that promote better health, and they can catch health problems early.
These visits may include:
- A physical examination
- Checking your vitals
- Checking BMI
- Examination of personal and family medical histories
- Discussion of current lifestyle and health choices
- Screenings
- Shots and immunizations
- Establishing a plan for your health
Screenings may vary depending on age, risk, and gender. During your wellness exam you may receive screening for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, mammogram, pap test, osteoporosis, or STDs.
Your doctor may ask you about current stress, physical activity, diet, or drug use such as tobacco and alcohol. Much of the exam is discussion about ways to improve overall health through lifestyle and healthy decision making. Be frank in your answers — full information helps you and your doctor work together for the best outcome.
Schedule your wellness exam today!
It’s important to tell your doctor about any health questions, concerns, or problems during your wellness visit. Starting a dialogue about your health greatly improves the quality of your healthcare. Be sure to write down any questions you have for your physician before your visit.
Annual wellness visits are essential to maintaining good health and with most insurance plans, they are covered 100% with no copays. Check with your plan for how often you qualify for a wellness visit. Schedule your wellness exam with a MANA physician today!