Most people are behind on at least two of these. What to schedule, when to book, and what your insurance already covers.
Most people do not skip health appointments because they do not care about their health. They skip them because booking requires remembering, and remembering requires the appointment to be actively on your mind when you also have time and motivation to make the call.
The result is that preventive care — the category of healthcare most likely to catch problems early when they are inexpensive to treat — gets deferred indefinitely. Not because of a decision. Just because of friction.
Here is the full list of what most adults should be scheduling every year, what your insurance covers, and the best time to book each one.
The annual physical is covered at no cost under most insurance plans as a preventive benefit. It includes blood pressure measurement, cholesterol panel, blood glucose, and a general review of your health. Your primary care doctor will flag anything that needs follow-up.
Book it in January or February. Practices are least busy early in the year, you get your pick of appointment times, and you start the year knowing where you stand. If you do not have a primary care doctor, Zocdoc filters by insurance and shows real-time availability.
High blood pressure has no symptoms. It is called the silent killer because people carry it for years without knowing. Your annual physical includes a blood pressure reading, but if you have risk factors — family history, elevated readings in the past, high stress, or excess weight — checking more frequently is worth doing. Many pharmacies offer free blood pressure machines in the waiting area. Use them.
Most dental insurance plans cover two cleanings per year at no out-of-pocket cost. Most people use one or neither. Book both appointments in January — one for spring and one for fall — and you will have them in the calendar for the whole year without having to think about scheduling again.
Dental cleanings also include X-rays on a rotating schedule and a check for oral cancer, which is increasingly common and highly treatable when caught early. The cleaning is not just about your teeth.
Most vision insurance plans cover one comprehensive eye exam per year. The exam checks not just your prescription but the health of your retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels — making it one of the few places where conditions like diabetes and hypertension are sometimes caught first. Eye exams are FSA eligible.
If you wear contacts, your prescription expires annually and you cannot order lenses without a current prescription. This is the most common reason people book — but the health component is worth knowing about too.
Annual skin cancer screenings are recommended for all adults, particularly those with fair skin, a history of sun exposure, or a family history of melanoma. Dermatologists book out 6 to 8 weeks in most urban areas. Book in March or April for a summer appointment, before UV season peaks. Skin cancer caught early is almost always curable. Caught late, it is not.
Current guidelines recommend annual mammograms beginning at 40 for average-risk women. Some guidelines suggest 45 or 50 — discuss with your doctor based on your family history and risk factors. Covered by most insurance plans with no out-of-pocket cost as a preventive benefit.
The recommended starting age for colorectal cancer screening dropped from 50 to 45 in recent guidelines. A colonoscopy with no findings is repeated every 10 years. Covered by insurance as a preventive benefit. The procedure itself takes about 30 minutes. The preparation the day before is the difficult part, but it is one day every decade.
Pap smears are recommended every 3 years for women 21 to 65, or every 5 years combined with HPV testing for women 30 to 65. Your OB-GYN or primary care doctor will tell you where you are in the cycle. If you do not know when your last one was, that is a useful data point.
The flu vaccine is updated each year to match the dominant strains. Get it in September or October before flu season peaks. Walk-in to any pharmacy — no appointment needed. Covered by most insurance with no copay.
Updated COVID vaccines are released annually. Check the CDC website in September for the current recommendation. Most pharmacies offer the updated formulation with no appointment and no cost with insurance.
Tdap booster is recommended every 10 years. Shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is recommended starting at 50. RSV vaccine is now recommended for adults 60 and over. Your annual physical is a good time to check what you are current on.
Many primary care practices now include a depression and anxiety screening as part of the annual physical. If yours does not, or if you want more than a screening, many therapists offer annual check-in sessions even for people who are not in regular therapy. The barrier to booking is usually the assumption that you need to be in crisis to see a therapist. You do not.
Each of these appointments requires remembering when it is due, booking far enough in advance to get a good time slot, and knowing what your insurance covers. Celene and Co tracks all of this for each member based on their household profile. The reminders arrive at the right time — early enough to book the appointment you want, not the appointment that is left.