Do you go for your physicals annually?

Yes. I have since my mid forties.

Nope. If something’s off, I go in, otherwise not.

Not now that insurance is so expensive even to not really help with the cost of doing so, and the charges for a physical are unaffordable in the US.

Every year.

At this point, I’ll go when Medicare tells me to since they’re paying. It’s probably about every two years which is enough for me. Before that, I had them from time to time but I’m only at the doctor’s once or twice a year.

No.

Yes. They want to watch my thyroid.

Yes. Every six months even. I have a couple permanent conditions that need to be monitored. I am lucky to have always had decent insurance through work.

I live with a chronic illness, so I see doctors regularly. I do not get an annual physical.

No insurance here. The ER is essentially my primary care physician. My country (the US) doesn’t care about it’s citizens.

GYN visit every year.

I go to the doctor about 3–6 times a year right now. I really only need to go 1–2 times, but I live in a town where the doctors are so used to Medicare they are money hungry and impossible. I do usually need blood tests about 2–4 times a year, but right now it’s been more because of a kidney problem and trying to adjust my thyroid meds, and these doctors won’t give standing orders, they want to make you come to the office to make more money. It’s very frustrating.

Generally, yes, though I have skipped a year here and there.

I have only been to a handful of physicals in my life and it was because they were required for my teaching license.

The only time I went on my own was when we were without insurance for almost 5 years. When we finally got it I immediately went to the gyno, the dentist and the MD for simple check ups.
The MD found my BP was very, super, duper dangerously high, as in I could have have a stroke at any minute. Whew.

I go annually so I can get blood work done. Unlike many other states, in NY you must have an order from a doctor before you can have blood work – even if you are paying for it yourself.

I am mostly interested in my PSA. As long as it stays low, I’m good.

Yes. Every year.

Yes, every spring. Its 100% free as well as mammograms.

I am shocked and dismayed that so many arent going. Prevention is key.

Nope. Most of the time if I go get a check up it’s because something is already becoming a problem. But I don’t do annual checks.

Annual physicals are generally unnecessary.
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-the-annual-physical-unnecessary/

@Caravan Interesting article, not sure I agree but blood tests do show important issues, which do lead to medications aka prevention.

So, then I guess that means the annual PCP physical as part of ACA is a waste of tax payer money.

What is involved in the ACA PCP Physical? Does it include blood tests?

My gripe if is I am actually having some sort of symptom, when I REALLY NEED A DOCTOR, that I have to pay for, but just to check me in the name of preventative care it is free.

@JLeslie Thats true with private insurance, too, though.

@KNOWITALL I honestly don’t remember, but if that is the case, then that is also wasting dollars. Everyone participating in the insurance is paying into the pot, just like taxes.

I do think preventative care matters, but it changes as we age. When we are young, men especially don’t need too much checking. Maybe save money on them to help pay for the women.

@JLeslie Theres usually a copay on anything other than the free annuals.

Like with eye doctor, I get the exam free, contacts for a year or glasses (basic frames) each year. Copay is 25.00 total unless I get designer frames or colored contacts, etc….extras.

I only used the ACA for prescriptions so not sure what you pay.

I pay for everything, my deductible is $15K right now, except I think I do get my annual GYN and PCP visit free, but I think I still pay for the lab work, but I am not sure. I think maybe a mammogram once a year is free, but last time I paid for the 3D upcharge.

I didn’t always have this insurance though, I have had other kinds. Previous to the ACA insurance, I think I always paid for a check up. Many years ago I had an HMO and that was a copay for every visit, but for about 15 years I had a PPO and paid for everything, but my deductible was more like $2,500. I hated the HMO, because it required referrals, and that almost gave me a nervous breakdown. I don’t have eye exam insurance. I had it a few years at one point, but not anymore.

I have a $6,000 per year “family” deductible, but since my kids are healthy, we don’t get even close.

My physical last August was $600, and labs were another $375. But since I had some heart issues a few years ago, I get checked once a year to keep an eye on my cholesterol, my blood pressure, and my liver enzymes to make sure the statins aren’t doing more harm than good.

It would be cheaper for me to ship the annual physical, but might be more expensive all around in the long run.

@zenvelo Maybe the doctor isn’t coding it as an annual physical if you are paying for it. A deductible that high sounds like your insurance might be ACA compliant.

This last time I thought to ask my doctor what would make my appointment a physical, because I pay for everything, and she said, “but you have BCBS.” I get this constantly. They see a well known insurance company and they assume insurance is paying all or a big part of the cost. She looked in my mouth, listened to my back, and I think I got that one free. I see it as legit, it is an annual, it is preventative.

@zenvelo You wrote:“I get checked once a year to keep an eye on my cholesterol, my blood pressure, and my liver enzymes to make sure the statins aren’t doing more harm than good.”

if you could order the blood tests yourself would you bother to go to the doc every year? Or would you reduce the visit frequency to every other year plus visits as needed.

Blood tests are getting better every year. Acoustic diagnostics are improving every few months. Do a quick search for “heart sounds audio” . There are AI systems that use all the data collected to monitor and diagnose problems with extreme accuracy. Wearable sensors will be the norm. .

I predict 10 to 20 years the “well visits” of today will be considered quaint relics.

@LuckyGuy In my state some blood tests can be done at the lab without a doctor’s order, I don’t know if it varies by state. I’ve always wondered if insurance will cover it, or even count it towards the deductible, if it wasn’t ordered by a doctor.

In TN I only went to the endocrinologist 1–2 times a year. Here they want you to come back every time you have a blood test done. The internists are the same. That’s bullshit and in my opinion fraud. It’s unnecessary.

Edit: I will say that the CBC did help diagnose a problem I had, low iron. I don’t know if young doctors are observant enough to test for that based on just looking at me and gearing my complaints. Tired? Well, they will say, a lot of women are tired, you need to exercise and eat better. Oh, you have a slow thyroid? That’s probably why you are tired. The only reason I found out about my low kidney function was because I asked for the test, and luckily my doctor went along. She probably thought, “let me just get this hypochondriac out of my office.” Or, at minimum she was think, “let me get her out of the office so I can get to the next patient.”

@JLeslie The rules do vary state by state. NY is quite restrictive. You must have a doctor’s order before you can get a blood test – even if you are paying for it yourself.

@LuckyGuy I think it will change eventually. I assume the labs are lobbying to change it at the federal level. It was probably labs like Quest and LabCorps that finally helped push the federal law to let patients see their test results directly.

@LuckyGuy The lab won’t run tests unless ordered by a Dr.

@JLeslie Coding as a physical doesn’t change it, I still have to pay. And it is the same amount.

I have to tell the front desk every year that the entire visit and labs are my free yearly physical and to code that way per my insurance. Literally everyone at my workplace got a bill in prior years. So yes, coding matters a lot.

The hospital I work at has about 8 different lab tests on Wednesday only for $10.00 each. That includes cholesterol, CBC, A1C, thyroid and I can’t remember the others. No doctor order needed. But you can have the results sent to your PCP as well as to yourself.

@zenvelo If the insurance is through your employer or the ACA marketplace then the coding matters.

You could call your insurance to double check and see if you get a free annual visit.

Yes, I get my annual physical every year. It’s always good to get every checked and make sure I am all good and healthy.