Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.
So this hit my RSS feed the other day. Good timing, too, as I’m feeling particularly bitter about the whole medical insurance thing as of late.
1. Dental cleaning, twice a year. This one I wholeheartedly agree with. Their estimate is $50-$135 depending on your insurance; without insurance, I couldn’t afford to go for a good five years, and now I have 11 cavities and some wisdom teeth that need out. Not fun.
2. Eye exam every 3-5 years. They don’t explain why here, and well… I’ve worn glasses all my life. I can tell when my prescription changes. It’s fairly obvious: I stop being able to see as well.
3. Pap test, annually. Did you know guidelines on frequency for pap smears range from every 3-5 years, and in some countries they don’t even recommend starting them until mid-twenties? And of course, if you’re not sexually active, you’re fine. So…
4. Routine physical, once a year. Cost: $150-250, expect to pay more if you have bloodwork done. I can’t afford that. I don’t know many people my age who can.
5. Blood pressure check, once a year, free. They suggest using the machines at Walgreens and so forth. Fun fact: larger than normal individuals can’t use those cuffs. They’re far too small.
6. Cholesterol screenings. Apparently you can get an over the counter fingerprick test for that? I did not know that! That seems reasonable. Usually that’s included in bloodwork which tends to be pricey.
So yeah, consider this a public service announcement.
Also not a medical professional.
The reason for eye exams is glaucoma, not just prescription changes. That’s a good recommendation for something that a lot of people can’t afford, sadly.
I’m shocked they didn’t include a blood sugar test. Most health fairs include free finger prick blood sugar test to screen for diabetes. This is way more important than some of the other things they listed.
It would have been nice if they’d specified why each test was important :\