The perks of preventive care
Preventive care gets a lot of airtime, but what is it exactly? Basically, it’s doing the smart stuff now, like checkups, screenings, and vaccines, to keep small things from becoming big things later.
Five reasons to care about preventive care
Preventive care is good for you. Isn’t that reason enough to make it part of your lifestyle? If not, here are a few more motivators for staying on top of your health.1
- Live a longer, healthier life. We all want to be present for life’s big moments, as well as the everyday joys that happen in between. Being proactive with your health can help you stay active and feel more energetic into your golden years. Screening tests are one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes, and mental illness.
- Save money. If you’re worried about your wallet, you should be a huge fan of preventive care. It can help you catch serious medical conditions before they require costly treatments, and your insurance pays for nearly all in-network preventive care services. Cigna members can find in-network providers by visiting Cigna. If you’re a Kaiser member, all your providers are automatically in-network.
- Get doctor recommendations. Want some professional advice on how to feel your very best? Through a regular health exam, your doctor can get a complete picture of your health and provide helpful tips on maintaining your health and preventing serious conditions.
- Control your risk factors. Through preventive care, you can discover what your risk factors are and learn how to keep them in check. For example, if your doctor determines you’re predisposed to high cholesterol, they can suggest actions to take now to prevent a serious heart condition in the future.
- Help those around you. The more people who take advantage of preventive health care, the more data doctors have, which they can use to find new treatments and improve the overall health care system. By checking in on your own health, you’re indirectly improving health care for all.
The number of lives that could be saved each year if every person in the U.S. received the recommended clinical preventive care, including annual influenza vaccines for adults 50+, colorectal cancer screenings for adults 50+, and breast cancer screenings for women 40+.2
What to check and when
Regular checkups aren’t just routine — they’re how you stay one step ahead. The screenings you need can change over time, depending on your age and gender. Choose your gender below to see which checkups and screenings make sense for you at each stage of life.3
Your recommended checkups and screenings by age
You can receive most of these services at no cost through your Lenovo medical plan. Although they’re not included below, it’s also important to stay up to date on your vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, shingles, etc. If you’re not sure about your vaccination status, check with your doctor.
In your 20s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: At least one between ages 20–29
- Testicular exam: Ask your doctor starting at age 18
In your 30s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: At least two between ages 30–39
In your 40s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every two to four years
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years starting at age 45
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor starting at age 40
- Digital rectal exam: Ask your doctor starting at age 40
- Prostate screening: Ask your doctor starting at age 40
In your 50s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every two to four years
- Colorectal screening: Yearly fecal occult blood test or flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or colonoscopy every 10 years
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor
- Digital rectal exam: Ask your doctor
- Prostate screening: Ask your doctor
60 and over
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every one to two years starting at age 65
- Colorectal screening: Ask your doctor starting at 75 or based on the results of your last exam
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor
- Digital rectal exam: Ask your doctor
- Prostate screening: Ask your doctor
Your recommended checkups and screenings by age
You can receive most of these services at no cost through your Lenovo medical plan. Although they’re not included below, it’s also important to stay up to date on your vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, shingles, etc. If you’re not sure about your vaccination status, check with your doctor.
In your 20s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: At least one between ages 20–29
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years
- Pap smear: Every one to three years starting at age 21 (or earlier if sexually active)
- Pelvic exam: Yearly until age 25 if sexually active, then any time you have new partners
In your 30s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: At least two between ages 30–39
- Thyroid test: Every five years starting at age 35
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years
- Pap smear: Every one to three years
- Pelvic exam: Any time you have new partners
In your 40s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every two to four years
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor starting at age 40
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years starting at age 45
- Mammogram: Yearly starting at age 40
- Thyroid test: Every five years starting at age 35
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years
- Pap smear: Every one to three years
- Pelvic exam: Any time you have new partners
In your 50s
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every two to four years
- Colorectal screening: Yearly fecal occult blood test or flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or colonoscopy every 10 years
- Mammogram: Yearly
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years
- Pap smear: Every one to three years
- Pelvic exam: Any time you have new partners
- Thyroid test: Every five years
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years
60 and over
- Dental checkup: Two per year
- Eye exam: Every one to two years starting at age 65
- Colorectal screening: Ask your doctor starting at 75, or based on the results of your last exam
- Mammogram: Yearly
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years
- Pap smear: Every one to three years
- Pelvic exam: Any time you have new partners
- Thyroid test: Every five years
- Bone density test: Ask your doctor
- Blood glucose test for diabetes: Every three years
Further reading
1 FitOn Health, The Power of Preventive Care: Taking a Proactive Approach to Health.
2 Center for Disease Control, Provision of Clinical Preventive Services by Community Pharmacists.
3 American Cancer Fund, Recommended Health Screenings by Age.