Improves your health in the long-term
Preventative care can help address medical risk factors early, preventing them from becoming long-term health problems. By making healthy lifestyle choices guided by preventive care, you are making an investment in your overall health.
A primary care physician can work with you to develop a personalized preventive care plan. For example, you might consider regular wellness checks or periodic lab tests. By taking advantage of preventive services, patients can get a better picture of their overall health today, in order to make changes that can lead to a healthier tomorrow.
Contributes to increased lifespan
Preventative care can also serve as an important contributor to living a long life. Addressing potential health concerns sooner means that they can be treated prior to turning into more significant issues that may affect how long a person lives.
It's common sense: The more you take care of your health, the more likely it is that you will benefit in the form of greater overall wellness. Preventive care services play an essential role in helping you to live a healthier and happier life.
Avoid high medical expenses
Preventive care means being proactive about your health, which means not only preserving your wellbeing, but also preventing health issues with costly consequences. The health care costs associated with long-term illness and chronic conditions can be difficult to manage, even with insurance coverage. Preventative care can help to catch major medical issues before they become chronic diseases that have a long-term impact on personal finances.
In addition, most health insurance plans cover preventive care costs, even if you have not met your deductible. Telehealth appointments may be a more affordable option to consider for routine care visits.
Ways to practice preventive care
Here are some specific ways that preventative care can help you stay healthy in the long run:
Weight management
Having obesity or excess weight significantly increases the risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This means that weight management plays a vital role in preventive care, and can take the form of regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Talking with your doctor about weight loss treatment options can be a step in the right direction. Our board-certified primary care doctors can help you develop a weight management plan that supports your long-term health and personal fitness.
Mental health screenings
Mental health is an essential part of your overall health. Preventive health for mental health care can take the form of screenings for depression or anxiety, which help to identify these concerns before they begin to impact other areas of a patient's life.
Our online doctors and therapists can provide mental health care services and treatment, in order to help patients with guidance and emotional support through difficult times.
Physical health screenings
A primary care physician can help patients determine which preventative care physical health screenings they should consider getting, based on their age, gender, and medical history. Preventive care physical health screenings are often provided to detect conditions such as:
Type 2 diabetes
Cervical cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Colorectal cancer
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Osteoporosis
By screening for significant health conditions in advance, preventive services can increase the likelihood of finding medical issues early when they are easier for doctors to treat. They are especially important for people who may be at increased risk for certain health conditions.
Our online primary care physicians can provide referrals for in-person physical health screenings and preventive care services, as well as
lab tests.
Vaccines
Vaccines are another important part of preventive care, providing the body with protection against different types of illness. Childhood immunizations and adult vaccines can help with long-term disease prevention.
Examples of important vaccines include:
Hepatitis A
Tetanus
Shingles
Pneumonia
Seasonal flu/influenza
Talk to your doctor during your preventive care visit to learn more about what vaccines may be appropriate for your overall health.
Wellness exams
Wellness exams are an important cornerstone of preventive health care. Also called an annual physical exam, a wellness exam checks key areas of your personal health in order to get a clear overview of your current health status. Wellness exams typically check the following:
Blood pressure
Heart rate
Height
Weight
Cholesterol
Glucose levels
As an essential component of maintaining your wellbeing, this preventive service can give you a better picture of your health, and help you determine if you need any specific care or treatment. An online primary care provider can provide you with a referral or order for an in-person wellness exam.
PlushCare can provide an “annual wellness visit" to online patients. An annual wellness visit is not the same as a physical exam, which needs to be done by an in-person medical doctor.