Managing your health includes preventive care, even when you're not feeling sick. Preventive screenings are an important part of staying healthy. Talk to your doctor about which screenings are right for you.
Did you know that three out of four women who get breast cancer have no family history of the illness? The best protection is early detection. Routine mammograms are covered by your health plan, at no cost to you, so talk to your doctor about when and how often you should be getting a mammogram. All you need is a prescription from your doctor.
A mammogram can:
- Detect symptoms years before you can feel a lump
- Find cancer early, when it’s most treatable, but only if you have the screening every year
- Take as little as 20 minutes with minimal discomfort for most women
Plus, you can receive a $50 CVS gift card when you complete your mammogram. Learn more about earning rewards by completing your preventive health screenings through the Horizon Healthy Journey Program. The program is available to members who have a Horizon Medicare Advantage plan (HMO or PPO).
When you have your Annual Wellness Visit with your Primary Care Physician (PCP), be sure to have an open discussion and remember to ask questions. Your PCP will create a personalized care plan that treats all your conditions, so being honest about your health concerns helps your doctor help you.
Talk about:
- Falls: Certain health issues or living conditions may increase your chance of falling and these risk factors increase as you age. Always tell your doctor about any falls you have had in the past. Ask about taking a falls risk assessment.
- Blood pressure: Make sure your doctor checks your blood pressure at every visit. If it’s high, ask how you can lower your blood pressure to avoid health issues like a stroke, heart disease and kidney failure.
- Preventive care: If you had a fracture (broke a bone) in the last six months, you should get a DEXA scan to assess your bone health. Other important screenings to discuss are breast cancer, colorectal cancer and diabetes.
- How you are feeling: Let your doctor know if you’re feeling sad or depressed. You may benefit from talking with a behavioral health professional who can help you learn skills to cope with negative feelings or prescribe medication to manage depression.
- Medications: Follow the directions on your medicine bottles and don't forget to take them even if you feel like they aren't working. If you have side effects, let your doctor know right away. You must take your medication correctly for it to work properly. Not taking your medication correctly can cause serious damage to your health.
Colorectal cancer, often called colon cancer, occurs in the colon or rectum. Colon cancer is usually found in adults age 50 or older. Your risk of getting colon cancer increases with age and if you have had colon polyps or inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms may include:
- Blood in or on your stool
- Change in bathroom habits, such as stools that are thinner than usual
- Stomach aches, pains or cramps that occur often
- Weight loss
Colon cancer can be treatable and curable if caught early. Ask your doctor which of these different types of screenings is best for you:
- Fecal Occult Blood Test: Also referred to as FOBT or FIT test. A lab test that looks for blood in a stool sample.
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: A procedure that uses a tiny camera on a thin tube to view the rectum and lower third of the colon to check for signs of cancer.
- Colonoscopy: Similar to a sigmoidoscopy, but uses a longer tube to view the entire colon.
- CT Colonography: A CT scanner is used to take images of the colon.
- FIT-DNA Test: Also referred to as the stool DNA test. A lab test that checks for DNA changes and blood in a stool sample.
Plus, you can receive a $50 CVS gift card when you complete a Colonoscopy or Sigmoidoscopy, or you can receive a $15 CVS gift card when you complete Fecal Occult Blood Test kit or Stool DNA. Learn more about earning rewards by completing your preventive health screenings through the Horizon Healthy Journey Program. The program is available to members who have a Horizon Medicare Advantage plan (HMO or PPO).
When people have diabetes, their body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it has effectively. As a result, the amount of sugar in the blood becomes unhealthy. High blood sugar levels can cause many complications. The effects can be seen throughout the body, including:
- Eyes: Diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) can cause small blood vessels to swell and leak liquid into the retina of the eyes, blurring the vision and in some cases causing blindness. It is important to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist for a diabetic eye exam at least once a year.
- Kidneys: High blood sugar levels from diabetes can damage kidneys and lower their function, causing waste to build up in your blood. If left untreated, it may lead to kidney failure, which in some cases can cause death. A urine microalbumin lab test will let your doctor check on how well your kidneys are working. This test should be completed once a year.
- Nerves: High blood sugar can cause nerve damage resulting in numbness in the hands, feet and legs. Hemoglobin A1c testing measures your average blood sugar over the last three months. You should have this blood test every three to six months.
Plus, you can receive a $25 CVS gift card when you complete your Annual Wellness Visit. Learn more about earning rewards by completing your preventive health screenings through the Horizon Healthy Journey Program. The program is available to members who have a Horizon Medicare Advantage plan (HMO or PPO).