A Physical Routine
A Physical Routine
Dr. Juan Fernando Vargas, whose patients at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Panorama City, California, are also mostly Hispanic, says that even those who feel healthy may be endangering their lives by skipping physicals. “Some illnesses have no symptoms until it’s too late,” he says, such as hypertension, which causes stroke, and cancer, which can be caught with PAP testing, mammograms and colonoscopies. Of the 71 percent of Hispanics who had a physical in the past year, more than a third discovered a medical condition that required attention, including diabetes (29 percent), high blood pressure (24 percent) and heart disease (11 percent). 29 percent of Hispanics 45+ don't get their annual checkups. Prevention saves lives — and costs less. AARP VIVA’s survey reveals that besides money, 43 percent of those who don’t get a physical cite their difficulty understanding English as a reason. And more than a third say that they just don’t need one. “People don’t usually go to the doctor until they’re ill. Prevention costs less,” says Dr. Jessica Guajardo, director of the Cancer Center at Doctors Hospital of Laredo in Texas.
That’s where the new health care law can help. Starting in 2011, all Medicare recipients will receive one free annual physical and other preventive care services like colorectal cancer screenings and mammograms. “There’s no doubt that having access to the checkup will have a direct positive impact in picking up and diagnosing [a disease] at an early stage,” says William Martinez, a physician’s assistant in Los Angeles, whose patients are mostly Latino. “Generally, people react to anything that’s free.”
Take a Loved One to the Doctor, part of AARP’s , can also help. The initiative provides tips on coaxing those who avoid physicals into the doctor’s office and providing moral support.
A Physical Routine
Of those she left back home Gloria María Matos misses her doctors the most
Although Gloria María Matos, 55, suffers from hypertension, she hasn’t had a physical exam since moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2008 because she’s uninsured and unemployed. Like Matos, nearly three in 10 Hispanics age 45 and older didn’t have a routine physical in the past year, according to a new . Of those, 64 percent say it’s too expensive; 54 percent lacked health insurance.Dr. Juan Fernando Vargas, whose patients at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Panorama City, California, are also mostly Hispanic, says that even those who feel healthy may be endangering their lives by skipping physicals. “Some illnesses have no symptoms until it’s too late,” he says, such as hypertension, which causes stroke, and cancer, which can be caught with PAP testing, mammograms and colonoscopies. Of the 71 percent of Hispanics who had a physical in the past year, more than a third discovered a medical condition that required attention, including diabetes (29 percent), high blood pressure (24 percent) and heart disease (11 percent). 29 percent of Hispanics 45+ don't get their annual checkups. Prevention saves lives — and costs less. AARP VIVA’s survey reveals that besides money, 43 percent of those who don’t get a physical cite their difficulty understanding English as a reason. And more than a third say that they just don’t need one. “People don’t usually go to the doctor until they’re ill. Prevention costs less,” says Dr. Jessica Guajardo, director of the Cancer Center at Doctors Hospital of Laredo in Texas.
That’s where the new health care law can help. Starting in 2011, all Medicare recipients will receive one free annual physical and other preventive care services like colorectal cancer screenings and mammograms. “There’s no doubt that having access to the checkup will have a direct positive impact in picking up and diagnosing [a disease] at an early stage,” says William Martinez, a physician’s assistant in Los Angeles, whose patients are mostly Latino. “Generally, people react to anything that’s free.”
Take a Loved One to the Doctor, part of AARP’s , can also help. The initiative provides tips on coaxing those who avoid physicals into the doctor’s office and providing moral support.
What You Should Take to the Doctor
Pick a month Mark your calendar twice: once to set your appointment for your annual checkup and once to keep it.
A loved one A list of questions to ask (with the most important ones first) Paper and pen to take notes A bag of your medications and supplements (or a list of everything you take, including brand names and specific dosages) Before you leave, make sure you understand the doctor’s instructions. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures