Screen into good health
- Category: Blogs, Women's Health, Cardiology, Lung Health, Urology, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine
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“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Those words of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin remain true today, meaning it is far better to prevent a problem before it occurs than to deal with its consequences afterward.
Preventative health screenings are medical tests that check for disease when no symptoms are present. They allow potential problems to be identified early, when treatment works best.
Some screenings can be done at the request of the patient and may or may not be covered by insurance. Others are considered standard for maintaining good health. These may require a provider order and are usually covered at 100 percent.
Below are some common health screenings:
Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard test. It can detect precancerous polyps that can be removed before they turn into cancer.
Mammograms, which use low-dose X-rays, are the best way to screen for breast cancer.
Low-dose computerized tomography (CT) measures bone mineral density to determine a person’s risk of osteoporosis—a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break. This is also known as DEXA scan.
A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam can check for prostate cancer.
A heart scan, or coronary calcium scan, uses low-dose computerized tomography (CT) to detect calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. A higher coronary calcium score suggests a higher risk of heart attack (see article on front page).
Low-dose computed tomography (CT) is used to detect lung cancer at a very early stage—when it is more likely to be treated successfully.
The introductory “Welcome to Medicare Visit,” as well as the yearly wellness visits, are covered with no co-pay or deductible, as long as Medicare’s criteria are followed.
For more information about preventative health screenings, visit MyHorizonHealth.org/Screenings.
