Doctor's orders: Why preventive care matters

Regular screenings and immunizations keep you healthy

Life is busy. If you’re feeling healthy, you might wonder why it’s worth the time and effort to visit your provider.

“We maintain the things that are important to us in our daily life. For instance, if you haven’t checked the brakes on your car, your tire pressure, your oil—will you expect your car to still be in good shape in 10 years?” asked Dr. Anas Daghestani, an internal medicine doctor at Austin Regional Clinic (ARC) in Texas. “People have a hard time relating to what a colonoscopy or flu vaccine will do for them, and it’s similar to how you would maintain your car.”

Dr. Daghestani, who is also the president and chief executive officer at ARC, regularly works with patients to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and asthma. “We have a lot of tools to manage and take care of conditions,” he said. “But wouldn’t it be better to help prevent them to begin with?”

Your plan covers preventive care at $0 out of pocket

As part of your Moda Health plan, you get zero-cost immunizations, annual wellness visits and screenings for common health issues from in-network providers. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cervical cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.

These preventive care services are covered fully by your plan as long as they are in network, which means you will not have to pay a deductible, copay or coinsurance.

“Honestly, the best time to see a doctor is when you’re not sick,” said Dr. Michael Twomey, who practices family medicine and is also the executive medical director at Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance in Boise, Idaho. “That gives us time to dig in and talk about the steps you can take to keep yourself healthy and maintain the quality of life you want.”

When his patients visit for regular preventive care, Dr. Twomey checks for things like blood pressure, weight and mental health. This gives him a chance to make lifestyle recommendations that could prevent serious diseases and hospitalization.

Help your provider get to know you

Another reason to keep up with preventive care is that it helps build your relationship with your provider. If you have a concerning health issue, you can usually get in to see your provider faster if you’re an established patient. They’ll also know more about your history and goals. “We don’t provide cookie-cutter care; it’s personalized,” said Dr. Daghestani.

One example is with colon cancer screening. Dr. Twomey said that sometimes people are uncomfortable with the idea of doing a colonoscopy. “There are other options. We can do a stool-based test first to avoid a colonoscopy in low-risk patients.”

Preventive care works—and saves you money

Regular screenings can catch problems early. By taking action sooner rather than later, you may be able to avoid visits to specialists, prescription medications, hospital stays or more intensive treatments. That can save you a lot of money, but it also saves you from the stress of having to manage a serious health issue.

Dr. Daghestani recalled a patient who got his first colonoscopy at 46 years old. The patient had no symptoms but agreed to test after discussing it with Dr. Daghestani. The results showed stage 1 colon cancer. Thanks to early detection, the survival rate was more than 90%, and years later, the patient is still doing well.

“If we had waited three or four more years for that colonoscopy, chances are we could have discovered his cancer at stage 3 or 4,” said Dr. Daghestani. “And it would have been too late.”

One of Dr. Twomey’s patients hadn’t seen a doctor for thirty years. The patient was nervous but agreed to a set of simple labs that would check on their overall health. Dr. Twomey found that the patient was positive for hepatitis C.

“Eight weeks of medicine cured the disease. Afterward, the patient said they hadn’t realized how tired they had been. We were able to manage the problem before it developed into organ failure.”

Schedule your preventive care today

Take a look at our preventive care graphic to see what care you might need now. You can contact your primary care provider to schedule an appointment.

If you don’t have a primary care provider, find one in your network. It’s a good idea to do this as soon as possible, since it can take a while to get in for your first visit. And if you haven’t seen your provider in a while? “It’s common for my patients to put their health on the back burner because they’re taking care of another family member who might be more sick. I understand that as a provider,” said Dr. Twomey. “The best time to be seen is yesterday. The next best time is today.”