Healthcare Industry
 |
You Know You Need Health Insurance....
But With So Many Options and Companies. How Do You Make Sense Of It All?
Simple: Use this free site to compare all the major health insurance companies, instantly and painlessly.
All you need to do is enter a few simple details, and right away you'll see exactly what the major insurance companies can really offer, and what will work best for you and your situation. Get your free quotes right now |
Guide To Preventive Healthcare
by: Irina
Medical experts all agree that good health
depends on improved access to and increased use of preventive services.
With health insurance premiums being what they are and skyrocketing
even further year after year, the first part (affordable
access to quality healthcare) can serve as a worthy subject
for a whole book. Notwithstanding the significance of the problem,
it is beyond the scope of this article. More information on getting
affordable access to quality healthcare is available from http://www.megaone.com/hbb/savemoney/affordable.html
If you already have access to preventive
services, you are responsible, in large part, for managing your
own care. Your primary-care practitioner is your partner, but numerous
decisions of paramount importance are up to you. The following should
help to decide if you need any of the tests listed below. You should,
if possible, have a copy of your test results and records.
These are the major screening tests (that
is, routine tests for people without symptoms) and adult immunizations.
The advice is based largely on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force. Most HMOs and Medicare cover these services;
fewer traditional insurers pay for them. Infants, children, and
pregnant women need other kinds of preventive care not described
here.
- Blood pressure measurement (to detect hypertension)
Who needs: All adults. How often: Once every 2 years for those with
normal blood pressure. Comments: More frequent monitoring for those
with readings of 130/85 or higher.
- Cholesterol measurement Who needs: All
adults. How often: Once every 5 years. More often if total or LDL
("bad") cholesterol is high, HDL ("good") is
low, and/or you have risk factors. Comments: Those at high risk
for heart disease need medical advice about life-style changes and
possibly drug therapy.
- Diabetes screening (fasting blood glucose
test) Who needs: Everyone 45 and older; earlier for those at high
risk. How often: Every 3 years. Comments: Blacks, Hispanics, Asians,
Native Americans, obese people, and those with a strong family history
need more frequent screening, starting at age 30.
- Dental checkup Who needs: All adults. How
often: Every 6 months, or on professional advice. Comments: Should
include cleaning and exam for oral cancer.
- Tetanus/diphtheria booster Who needs: All
adults. How often: Every 10 years. Comments: People over 50 are
least likely to be adequately immunized.
- Hepatitis B vaccine Who needs: All young
adults, as well as adults at high risk. How often: On professional
advice. Comments: All newborns should be vaccinated.
- Chickenpox vaccine Who needs: Anyone who
has never had chickenpox. How often: Once. But above age 13 it requires
two shots. Comments: Not recommended for pregnant women or those
with compromised immunity.
- Pap smear (for early detection of cervical
cancer) Who needs: All women with a cervix, starting at age 18,
or earlier if sexually active. How often: If 3 annual tests are
normal, then once every 3 years. More often if you smoke, have multiple
sex partners or other risk factors. Comments: Some experts advise
that women who have never had an abnormal result can stop being
screened after age 65.
- Breast cancer screening (mammography) Who
needs: All women 50 and over; those 40-49 should discuss riskfactors
with a doctor. How often: Annually. Medicare reimburses for it.
Comments: Clinical breast exams are also important-consult your
doctor.
- Colorectal cancer screening (fecal occult
blood test, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy) Who needs: Everyone 50 and
over; earlier for those at high risk. How often: Occult blood test
annually; sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or colonoscopy every 10 years.
Comments: Digital rectal exam and X-ray with barium enema may also
be done. Medicare now pays for colonoscopy.
- Prostate cancer screening (prostate specific
antigen, or PSA, test; and digital rectal exam, or DRE) Who needs:
Blacks and men with family history, DRE and PSA starting at age
40. For others, DRE, and possibly PSA, starting at 50. How often:
DRE annually; PSA on professional advice. Comments: Usefulness of
PSA screening for all men remains controversial.
- Thyroid disease screening Who needs: Women
50 and over; those with high cholesterol or family history of thyroid
disease. How often: On professional advice. Comments: Routine screening
remains controversial. Talk to your doctor about risk factors.
- Chlamydia screening Who needs: Women 25
and younger, if sexually active. How often: Annually, or more often.
Comments: Men and women of any age who are at risk for STDs (chlamydia,
gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV) should be tested.
- Glaucoma screening Who needs: People at
high risk: those over 65, very nearsighted, or diabetic; blacks
over 40; those with sleep apnea or family history of glaucoma. How
often: On professional advice of eye specialist. Comments: Many
eye specialists advise screening all adults every 3-5 years, starting
at age 39.
- Influenza vaccine Who needs: Everyone 50
and over, people with lung or heart disease or cancer, and others
at high risk. How often: Annually, in autumn. Comments: Even healthy
younger adults can benefit and should consider getting the shot.
- Pneumococcal vaccine Who needs: Everyone
65 and over, and others at high risk for complications. How often:
At least once. Comments: Effective against most strains of pneumococcal
pneumonia; lasts at least 5-10 years.
- Rubella vaccine Who needs: All women of
childbearing age. How often: Once. Comments: Avoid during pregnancy.
There are other important preventive measures
not listed above-the kind of commonsense steps that could save millions
of medical dollars and prevent injury, illness, disability, and
premature death. Here's a checklist:
- Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Get regular exercise. Brisk walking for
just half an hour every day can be a big factor in weight control
and in staying healthy.
- Choose a diet low in animal fat and sodium,
and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat
dairy products. Eat at least two servings of fish a week.
- Keep alcohol consumption moderate: no more
than one drink daily for a woman, two drinks for a man. If you are
a heavy drinker, seek counseling, and cut back or quit.
- Do self-exams of your breasts or testes,
as well as skin.
- Fasten seat belts, see that kids ride in
proper restraints, and obey the law. Drive sober and defensively.
- Brush and floss to prevent dental disease.
Someday there may be one magic test that
will accurately detect anything and everything. Until then, this
guide may be useful in making the right healthcare decision for
yourself and your family.
(C) by Irina 2003.
About the Author: Irina runs home-based business helping people
save on health care and create steady stream of residual income
working from home http://www.megaone.com/hbb/savemoney/
You can find more Health
Insurance Information here
|
