What is your annual physical like with Kaiser? That was the big change for me. My annual “wellness check” is pretty much checking the blood pressure and listening to my heart and lungs.Originally Posted by Edward Weber
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What is your annual physical like with Kaiser? That was the big change for me. My annual “wellness check” is pretty much checking the blood pressure and listening to my heart and lungs.
[OP]
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Yep, as much as I like My doctor I think the annual wellness test is a cash cow for him (or any MD).
It's probably the only Medicare in office service that they actually make money on because they hardly do anything and just ask questions, all of which can be done by and NP or PA, and it might take all of 10-15 minutes.
Speaking of physicals, I get a blood test annually, comprised of the 3 parts: a complete blood count, a metabolic panel and a lipid panel.
Unless you are a heart patient or the doctor specifically prescribes it, Medicare does not pay for the "lipid panel" (the cholesterol et al tests) except once every five years.
A lot can happen in 5 years (imo) if you don't keep tabs on your cholesterol, triglycerides, etc., so I pay the lipid panel part every year (approx $85).
Last edited by Patty Hann; 10-10-2023 at 7:05 AM.
"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
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I believe the trend is to ditch the annual physical exam and studies have shown it to not affect health outcome. Of course, if you have a problem then that will be followed but just to pop in once a year with no issues isn't seen as a valid use of resources.
My Dr. (a younger doctor) doesn't do them anymore but I do get calls to get my iron level checked, FIT (poop test), at intervals.
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For me, the annual physical/wellness exam has evolved to be more analytic using blood tests and then general conversation with my provider. (He's a very good PA...and Nat Guard medic in his "spare time"...in the big practice and I've been seeing him for over a decade) It's clear there is some careful structure in the conversation. He does some normal physician visit hands-on listening and looking, but we spend much more time talking things through. I like that, honestly. He also has me periodically do certain testing because of family history and the plan is for me to get a stress test once I deal with my right wrist which has become an issue like my left one was a few years ago.
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Your cholesterol usually stays the same year to year. 30 years later mine changed by 2 points. Save your money. Don't get it every year. Eat good foods and stay active.
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Everyone is different. My total cholesterol went from 251 in 2011 to 294 less than a year later. There's a lot more I could say on this subject, but we're kinda getting off the subject.
No argument there.
[OP]
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My total cholesterol changed 30 points in one year..from 200 to 170.
Other years it varies about +/- 15 points.
"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
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Doesn't much matter, any number I get down to, my doctor will think it's too high. (grumble)
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[OP]
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If you had your cholesterol checked on a specific date and didn't have it checked for another 30 years, and it was within 2 points of the original reading, that tells you nothing about what was going on with your cholesterol in those intervening 29 years. Maybe it stayed rock solid, maybe it did'nt.
But if sometime in those 29 years it hit, say 300 and stayed there for 15 years, well your heart may not be too happy about that.
"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
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I agree 100% get it checked yearly things can change besides your diet, it would be foolish to think otherwise. I get a fasting blood profile once per year. Even if I had to pay for it and I do not.
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