WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Life is not easy for many working men, and many avoid routine checkups for as long as possible. According to Integres Health, even in today’s world of easy information about health and fitness, men still fall behind women in taking care of their health by scheduling annual exams or going to a doctor unless a condition becomes unbearable. On average, men die half a decade earlier than women. The CDC reports that women are 33% more likely to visit the doctor than men, and women are 100 percent better at maintaining screening and preventive care. A routine checkup is a general physical exam, not an exam for a specific injury, illness, or condition. The recommendations regarding the frequency of routine checkups are based on your age, risk factors, and current health status according to Healthline. While opinions vary, routine checkups with your doctor are generally recommended as follows:

• once every 3 years if you’re under the age of 50 and in good health
• once a year once you turn 50

If you have a chronic disease, like diabetes or COPD for instance, you should see your doctor more frequently, no matter how old you are. Your doctor may suggest more or less time between your checkups based on your risk factors, screening test results, and current health status. Regular checkups with your healthcare provider can benefit your health in many ways. Some of the key benefits include:

• finding potentially life threatening health issues early before they cause a problem
• early treatment of health conditions, which increases the odds of a good outcome
• regular monitoring of existing health issues, which lowers the risk of worsening symptoms or severe complications
• staying up-to-date on vaccinations and screening tests
• limiting extra healthcare costs associated with treating complicated or serious conditions that aren’t caught early
• developing and maintaining an open, honest relationship with your primary care physician (PCP)
• learning new ways to live a healthy, longer life and improving your health 

WHO IS AFFECTED?

• Males are less inclined to get regular check ups. 

• People without health insurance coverage. 

• Adults aged 18 to 44 have lower doctor check ups than infants and sults aged 65 and over.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-often-should-you-get-routine-checkups-at-the-doctor#how-often Last accessed March 2024.
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-often-should-you-get-routine-checkups-at-the-doctor#how-often Last accessed March 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db408.htm  Last accessed March 2024. 

https://www.denverharborhealthcenter.org/encourage-men-to-schedule-regular-checkups/  Last accesses March 2024.

Without health insurance, people are less likely to have a regular health care provider and more likely to skip routine health care. This puts them at increased risk for serious health problems. Evidence has shown that strategies to reduce financial and other barriers to health insurance access can help increase coverage rates.

Employers can play a critical part in helping their employees tp get annual wellness-checks. According to Eden Health, employers can provide incentives, protect PTO hours, and promote annual check up days, 

A convenient health screening site location, cost (individuals do not have to pay for themselves), as well as sensitivity to human factors and diagnostic facilities (e.g., the sex, skills, attitudes, etc., of the healthcare professional who administers the screening) were important and influences people's willingness to participate in health screening services.

Men's partners play an important role in morivating and scheduling health screenings for men. Many health organizations have tried to combat the male reluctance to seek care by introducing social media campaigns, outreach programs and special events to lure men in for regular health care examinations. 

Source: Shih-Ying Chien,^1,2,* Ming-Chuen Chuang,¹ and I-Ping Chen¹ Why People Do Not Attend Health Screenings: Factors That Influence Willingness to Participate in Health Screenings for Chronic Diseases, National Library of Medicine, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May; 17(10): 3495. Published online 2020 May 17. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103495 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277138/) Last accessed March 2024.

https://www.edenhealth.com/blog/encourage-employees-schedule-physical/ Last accessed March 2024.

https://www.denverharborhealthcenter.org/encourage-men-to-schedule-regular-checkups/  Last accesses March 2024.

https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors#:~:text=The%20second%2Dmost%20common%20excuse,don't%20go%20to%20doctors. Last accessed March 2024.

When people are feeling healthy, they are less likely to have a wellness screening.  The believe that health screenings were a waste of time, money, and other healthcare resources are also a challenge in motivating people to get regular health screenings. Additional preventative factors included a belief that health screening service procedures were too complicated, and this was especially true for elderly people (who are more likely to have difficulty following instructions). Certain screening items were likely to cause negative feelings, such as distress.

According to an online survey commissioned by Orlando Health,  the top excuse men make to avoid scheduling annual appointments is that they are too busy. The second-most common excuse is that men are “afraid of finding out something might be seriously wrong.” Finally, the discomfort of exams (such as prostate checks, testicular exams, colon cancer screenings and the like) is another top reason men don’t go to doctors. 

Source: https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors#:~:text=The%20second%2Dmost%20common%20excuse,don't%20go%20to%20doctors. Last accesses 12 July 2022 

Shih-Ying Chien,^1,2,* Ming-Chuen Chuang,¹ and I-Ping Chen¹ Why People Do Not Attend Health Screenings: Factors That Influence Willingness to Participate in Health Screenings for Chronic Diseases, National Library of Medicine, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May; 17(10): 3495. Published online 2020 May 17. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103495 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277138/) Last accessed March 2024.

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022 Last accessed March 2024.

The passage of the ACA accelerated the development and implementation of innovative care models. Most health plans must cover a set of preventive services — like shots and screening tests — at no cost to you. This includes plans available through the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

If all states adopted the Medicaid expansion, approximately 2.9 million uninsured adults would become newly eligible for Medicaid. This number includes the 1.5 million adults in the coverage gap and an additional 1.4 million uninsured adults with incomes between 100% and 138% FPL, most of whom are currently eligible for Marketplace coverage but not enrolled (Figure 7 and Table 1). Most of the adults who are currently eligible for coverage in the Marketplace qualify for plans with zero premiums; however, even with no premiums, Medicaid could provide more comprehensive benefits and lower cost-sharing compared to Marketplace coverage. The potential number of people who could be reached by Medicaid expansion varies by state.

Source(s): https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/preventive-care-benefits/ Last accessed March 2024.

https://www.cdc.gov/prevention/ Last accessed March 2024.

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-uninsured-are-in-the-coverage-gap-and-how-many-could-be-eligible-if-all-states-adopted-the-medicaid-expansion/ Last accessed March 2024.

2022: https://www.in.gov/health/oda/files/2022_Core_Variables_Report.pdf Last accessed March 2024, October 2024

2021: https://www.in.gov/health/oda/data-analysis-and-risk-factors/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system/ (2021: Indiana Core Questions Data Report, pg 26/249) Last accessed 12 January 2023

2020: https://www.in.gov/health/oda/data-analysis-and-risk-factors/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system/ (2020: Indiana Core Questions Data Report, pg 26/275)   Last accessed 11 July 2022

2019: https://www.in.gov/health/oda/data-analysis-and-risk-factors/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system/ (2019: Indiana Core Questions Data Report, pg 26/280))   Last accessed 11 July 2022

2018: https://www.in.gov/health/oda/data-analysis-and-risk-factors/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system/       Last accessed 11 July 2022

2017: https://www.in.gov/health/reports/brfss/2017/C03.04.htm  Last accessed 11 July 2022

2016:  https://www.in.gov/health/oda/data-analysis-and-risk-factors/behavioral-risk-factor-surveillance-system/ (2020: Indiana Core Questions Data Report, pg 26/274)  Last accessed 11 July 2022