Nov. 14 , 2008

Take charge of your health — schedule an annual physical exam

If you haven’t had a physical exam in the past year, here are six good reasons to make an appointment today:

1. Simple screening tests can find correctable and treatable problems early. Some conditions in need of treatment create no symptoms at all in their early stages — and that’s the best time to find and fix them. By reviewing the results of simple tests, your doctor can recommend dietary or lifestyle changes — or medications — that can help protect your health.

2. Your doctor can help you take advantage of preventive care. Flu shots, tetanus boosters, mammograms, vision exams, electrocardiograms, and many more kinds of preventive care and studies are useful in protecting your good health. Your doctor can let you know which of these are recommended for you, and when they should be completed.

3. Seeing your doctor once a year helps you stay in touch all year long. Is that spot a sign of trouble or perfectly harmless? Is that burning feeling a heart symptom or just the late night snack giving you heartburn? If you see your doctor once a year, you’ll feel more comfortable about asking for his or her advice whenever you feel you might need it.

4. It’s helpful for your doctor to get to know you as a well person, not just a sick person. Giving your doctor the opportunity to get to know you through annual visits means he or she will be better able to detect small problems before they turn into big ones. And if you are looking to make healthy changes in your lifestyle — perhaps by changing your diet, exercising more, quitting tobacco, or losing weight — your doctor will be able to offer helpful suggestions that fit the way you live and work.

5. Seeing your doctor once a year is an excellent investment in your future. Seeing your doctor once a year isn’t about how good you feel now or whether you have time for an appointment. It’s about how you want to feel in the future. Each year, schedule a day, a morning, or a couple of hours off for your annual physical exam.

6. At just $5, a well visit is the best bargain you’ll find today. In the upcoming year UPMC is maintaining its low $5 copayment for well visits to your doctor. If you’re a UPMC employee with health coverage through UPMC, go ahead and take advantage of this terrific benefit.

Take five minutes for yourself now

While you’re thinking of it, call your doctor’s office and make an appointment for an annual physical exam. Don’t have a doctor to call? We’ll be happy to find you one today. Call UPMC Health Plan Member Services at 1-888-876-2756 and say, “I’d like to find a doctor and schedule an annual exam.” Your Member Services representative will locate a doctor whose office is convenient for you, then make you an appointment while you are on the line.

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