Prevention is Better than Cure: Adding Preventive Care to Your 2025 Health Goals
As the new year begins, we are presented with an opportunity to set our sights on new and exciting goals for our health and wellness. While there are numerous wellness goals you can set for yourself such as adopting an exercise routine, or embracing healthy food choices, one of the easiest, but most overlooked goals is to embrace preventive care.
Why Does Preventive Care Matter?
Just as the term implies, Preventive Care is all about preventing medical issues before they happen. Common preventive care practices include regular check-ups, screenings, and vaccinations. Even when preventive care practices fail to prevent medical problems entirely, they make it much more likely that treatable conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer will be detected early. Even besides prevention and early detection, staying on top of preventive care practices helps you maintain overall health and vitality.
Addressing potential problems before they become serious reduces the need for expensive treatments, minimizes stress, and improves quality of life. According to the CDC, preventive services significantly lower the risk of chronic diseases.
A New Year Means New Beginnings
The start of a new year is the perfect time to take charge of your health. Many health insurance plans reset benefits in January, meaning you have access to new allowances for doctor visits and screenings. Additionally, a fresh calendar makes it easier to prioritize and schedule appointments, ensuring you don’t let your health take a back seat as the months roll by.
Five Steps To Get Started With Preventive Care
- Make a List of Needs: Your list should include any health concerns you’ve been meaning to address, as well as normal checkups such as annual physicals, dental cleanings, vision checks, and specialist visits. As always, consult with your physician for personalized medical advice.
- Check Your Insurance Coverage: Review your plan to understand what preventive services are covered. Many insurance plans include annual exams, vaccinations, and screenings at little to no cost.
- Schedule Early: Book appointments now to secure convenient dates and avoid delays as the year progresses.
- Prepare Questions: Think of topics you’d like to discuss with your doctor such as family history, lifestyle changes, or any ongoing issues. Write questions down in a notebook or your phone to make sure you don’t forget and so you can take notes while at your appointment.
- Embrace Healthy Habits: Complement preventive care with healthy food choices, regular exercise, and stress management. These daily habits enhance the benefits of professional medical care.
Preventive Care Through Motivation Alliance
If you’re looking to stay on top of your preventive care needs Motivation Alliance has got you covered with its Preventive Care check list! This feature allows you to keep track of which preventive care you may need, as well as which ones have already been completed and when.
Making preventive care a priority will pay dividends all year long. By taking proactive steps, you’re investing in your future health and ensuring you have the energy to pursue your goals. Let this new year mark the beginning of a healthier, more vibrant you.
Start today by booking those appointments—and don’t forget to explore Motivation Alliance for insight to keep you on track!
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Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). Are you up to date on your preventive care? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/prevention/preventive-care.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, July 27). Achieving health equity in preventive services. National Institutes of Health. https://prevention.nih.gov/research-priorities/research-needs-and-gaps/pathways-prevention/achieving-health-equity-preventive-services
What does it mean when deductibles reset in January? | rxsaverTM. (2023, October 30). https://www.rxsaver.com/blog/deductible-reset-in-january
What’s preventive care and what’s covered? UnitedHealthcare. (n.d.). https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/preventive-care
Disclaimer:
We want you to be well and to live your best life. The content in this blog is provided for the purposes to educate and entertain you: our very important reader. It is not intended as medical advice or as substitute for medical advice from a trained healthcare professional.
If you have a medical condition or are under the care of a medical provider, please always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before undertaking a new health care regimen. To that point, never disregard medical advice or delay treatment for a medical condition because of something you read on this site.
Listen to your care providers as they know you and your conditions best. Thank you for reading!
The Team at BSDI