Routine preventive care services to maintain your health and prevent disease are important to living a healthy life. Talk with your doctor about your specific health questions and concerns, and follow these guidelines, along with the advice of your doctor to help you stay healthy.
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The SPF number tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning if you apply the sunscreen. For example, if you normally burn after 20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 gives you 15 times the protection and will protect you for as long as five hours.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Skin Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society 2007
Did you know?
The strawberry is not actually a berry. Berries have seeds inside the fruit, the strawberry's seeds are on the outside. Whatever you call them, though, strawberries are a tasty low-fat, low-sugar treat, and they're good for you. Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140 percent of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. Plus they're a good source of folic acid, potassium and fiber.
Source: www.pickyourown.org/strawberryfacts*
Did you know?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Americans get sick approximately 76 million times per year from contaminated food. So keep food surfaces clean, wash all fruits and vegetables well, don't leave food sitting out more than two hours at room temperature, thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator and cook fish, poultry and meat to the recommended temperatures.
Source: healthlinks.mcw.edu*
Did you know?
Apple or pear? If you carry more fat around your waist (apple-shape) you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs (pear-shape). Women with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches or men with a waist circumference of more than 40 inches may be at higher risk for disease because of where their fat lies.
Source: www.annecollins.com/obesity*
Did you know?
Fight back. Exercise can help combat serious ailments like osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer.
Source: myoptumhealth.com
Did you know?
Need to remind yourself which cholesterol is "bad" and which is "good"? LDL cholesterol (bad) is "low-down." HDL cholesterol (good) comes "highly recommended."
Source: myoptumhealth.com
Did you know?
Walking 10,000 steps most days, or approximately five miles, can help reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis and help with weight loss or weight maintenance.
Source: MayoClinic.com
Did you know?
Airplane air is drier than the Sahara desert, so drink lots of water during and after your flight - and avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Did you know?
Enjoy your chocolate – in moderation. New research shows that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains phenols, which inhibit LDL (bad) cholesterol from damaging your arteries. But, don't forget, chocolate is very high in calories, so enjoy it guilt-free, but in moderation.
Source: Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate, www.mywebmd.com.
Did you know?
Starting your healthy lifestyle doesn't require gym membership. Kick off your changes today by taking the stairs, playing ball or biking to the store.
Source: myoptumhealth.com
Did you know?
Grin and bear it. Both the cold and the flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics are of no use against viruses. So don't bother to ask your doctor for antibiotics. Rest, stay warm, drink plenty of fluids.
Source: www.cdc.gov*
Did you know?
Chewing sugar free gum may improve focus, relieve stress and reduce hunger.
Source: American Dietetic Association
Did you know?
Yet another reason to limit your fun in the sun. Some medications, such as antibiotics, can increase your skin's sensitivity to the damaging rays of the sun. If you're taking medication - either prescription or over-the-counter, check with your pharmacist or physician about covering up outdoors.
Source: www.merck.com.* Drug Rashes.
Did you know?
The strongest bone in the body, the thigh bone, is hollow. Regular exercise can build bone strength. Bone is a living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. The best exercise for your bones is weight-bearing exercise. This includes walking, jogging, hiking, tennis, climbing stairs and dancing.
Source: The National Institutes of Health http://health.nih.gov/
Did you know?
Insect repellents with DEET reduce the effectiveness of sunscreen. So apply the sunscreen about 30 minutes before applying insect repellent. This will allow the sunscreen to bind to your skin and keep it effective.
Source: Fhp.osd.mil/factsheet
Did you know?
Baby bottle tooth decay. Babies who fall asleep with a bottle of milk, formula or juice are more likely to have tooth decay. Bacteria in the mouth use the sugars in sweet drinks to produce acids that attack the baby teeth.
An optimistic attitude helps protect your health and boost resilience, even during times of uncertainty and change.
Source: http://www.webmd.com
Did you know?
Type O negative blood works for everyone. It's called "the universal blood", because it can be used in emergency transfusions when the patient's blood type may not be known.
Source: American Red Cross
Did you know?
Give yourself a hand. Did you know that three ounces of protein is about the size of your palm?
Source: http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfo/wwtidbits.html
Did you know?
Exercise your funny bone. Researchers are finding that laughter helps lower your blood pressure.
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Remember the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This can be especially true when it comes to preventive health care. And, better health may lower your health care costs.
We understand that maintaining or improving your health is important; and a focus on regular preventive care, along with following the advice of your doctor, can help you stay healthy. Routine checkups and screenings can help you avoid serious health problems, allowing you and your doctor to work as a team to manage your overall health, and help you reach your personal health and wellness goals.
What is Preventive Care?
Preventive care focuses on maintaining your health, and establishing your baseline health status. Your preventive treatment may include immunizations, vaccines, physical evaluations, lab work, x-rays and medically appropriate health screenings. During your preventive visit your doctor will determine what tests or screenings are appropriate for you based on many factors such as your age, gender, overall health status, personal health history and your current symptoms or chronic health concerns.
Preventive care can help you avoid potentially serious health conditions and/or obtain early diagnosis and treatment. Generally, the sooner your doctor can identify and treat a medical condition, the better the outcome. Even if youre in the best shape of your life, a serious condition with no signs or symptoms may put your health at risk.
Through a preventive exam and other routine health screenings, your doctor can detect the early warning signs of more serious issues to provide early treatment.
How to Use this Tool
This new web-based tool will provide the age and gender-specific preventive care recommendations that will allow you to help manage your health. Working with your doctor, you can use this knowledge to make informed medical decisions that suit your lifestyle and daily habits. Not only will you be able to view, print and e-mail your specific preventive health guidelines, but you will also be able to obtain useful health tips, and access related tools, resources and materials to support your overall health.
Using this information to talk with your doctor can help you prevent and detect health issues in their early stage, if they occur, and live a healthier life. In addition, obtaining preventive care services can help improve your overall health, and potentially lower your out of pocket health care costs.
The information provided on this website offers general health screening guidelines for commonly used preventive tests and services. These are based primarily on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other health organizations. These guidelines are updated frequently, but may not reflect all of the health screenings you may require based on your individual health risks. Scheduling a preventive health visit, and talking with your doctor will provide the most effective source of information about your health.
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For informational purposes only. UnitedHealthcare does not diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. The information provided in this document is not a substitute for your physicians care. Services and medical technologies referenced herein may not be covered under your plan or be available in all states or for all groups.
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This content is subject to state and federal requirements and cannot diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. The information provided is not a substitute for your doctors care. This content contains general health information and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you. Some treatments mentioned in this newsletter may not be covered by your health plan. Please refer to your benefit plan documents for information about coverage.
"UnitedHealthcare has adopted preventive care guidelines based on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Benefit coverage for individual health services often includes age ranges or frequency of service that are more liberal than those adopted by USPSTF. Individuals with symptoms or at high risk for disease may need additional services or more frequent interventions. Please direct questions to your personal physician. "
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) provides clinicians with a recommended preventive services listing at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd09/gcp09s1.htm.
(USPSTF) Its individual recommendations can be found by a topic search at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspstopics.htm.
American Diabetes Association 2010 (ADA) screening recommendations found in Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2010 (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/Supplement_1/S11.full
National Cholesterol Education Program current cholesterol screening recommendations for both men and for women on the grid do not reflect ATP III.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a baseline screening for asymptomatic adults at age 40: http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/know/screening.cfm
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services on cardiovascular disease screenings on the grid would not be supported by USPSTF for those at average risk. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/cvd/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ACIP were used as the gold standard for the immunization recommendations in this review . http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/default.htm
Maintaining or improving the health of our UnitedHealthcare members is important to us, and we know that routine checkups and screenings can help avoid serious health problems. Our goal is to help you in understanding and obtaining age-appropriate preventive care services and screenings that allow you to work with your doctor to reach your personal health and wellness goals. The following resources are available to assist you in your efforts to manage your overall health.
