The individual healthcare mandate deadline is coming up: Everyone must have healthcare, either through their company, through a government program like medicare or medicaid or through an individual plan by January 1, 2014. Those scofflaws that don’t want to
ante up and purchase health insurance will end up paying a tax penalty. Is this good for people who are young and healthy or not? What about you? Do you really need health insurance or would it be cheaper to just pay the penalty? Many feel that the young and healthy, who have the least to gain from mandatory health insurance may just skip the whole thing and pay their tax penalty. Over time, this may not be the right option, but for now, if you fit in the “young and healthy” category, what do you really need to do to watch your health and catch big health issues? Forbes put out a list of the top ten medical tests you need. If you opt out of mandatory health insurance or are deciding to go for catastrophic care which provides only minimal visits per year and carries high deductibles, here are some tests you’ll need to try to squeeze into your healthcare budget:
- Blood pressure screening – Home blood pressure cuffs are readily available so you can track this yourself.
- C-reactive protein test – This protein can indicate the level of inflammation in the body and has been recognized as a useful adjunct to traditional cardiovascular tests like cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Colonoscopy – Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women so screenings beginning at age 50 are critical.
- CYP450 test – This test can monitor the efficiency of your liver based on the availability of the right enzymes to process medications, allowing doctors to prescribe exactly the right dosage for your body.
- Diabetes risk tests – With type 2 diabetes on the rise, a simple blood glucose test can tell you whether you may be at higher risk for diabetes.
- Lipids panel – Still recognized as a key indicator of cardiovascular disease, newer lipid tests including the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) test can provide more detailed information about the state of your cholesterol.
- Pap smear – This test is recommended for all women who are 21 or over and/or sexually active.
- Prostate specific antigen (PSA) – Establishing a baseline number for men is essential to long-term tracking of the health of their prostates and early warning for potential issues down the line.
- Skin cancer exam – Skin cancer rates have been rising and you should be checked every year for unusual growths or changes to your skin.
- Stress test – Used to determine the likelihood of coronary artery disease, this is especially recommended for those over age 50.
Many of these tests are available at independent lab testing facilities and do not require a doctor’s order or prescription. With a Flexible Spending Account most of these can be covered using your pre-tax dollars. The next few months are going to get complicated for those of us trying to figure out the healthiest and most cost-effective way to stay healthy. Do your research. You only have until the end of the year to lay out your specific plan and make the most of your options.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com