3 ms·

What is a long time? I came to the US in 2012 and haven't been to a doctor since. Not going to lie, the $ sign is a deterrent. But I am moving back to Europe t

What is a long time? I came to the US in 2012 and haven't been to a doctor since. Not going to lie, the $ sign is a deterrent. But I am moving back to Europe this year so I will go to a doctor there and get all checked up etc.

sitharus 10y ago
The idea of a 'routine checkup' is an American thing as far as I can tell. I've lived in the UK and New Zealand and adults only go to the doctor when there's something wrong, or if you have known chronic conditions. You certainly don't have regular blood tests.
- chrisper 10y ago
  Yes, that is how I remember it as well.
- pkaye 10y ago
  How do they catch things like kidney disease early? I have stage four kidney disease and there are barely any symptoms. Stage five means dialysis. For me it is too late to properly fix it but if caught early with regular blood tests there are ways to slow it down. My feeling is regular blood tests are a necessity for many health issues.
  - elorant 10y ago
    I had a kidney disease while in puberty, specifically nephritis. Since then, I take a blood test every six months. It's a great habit because it can catch a lot of problems, for example diabetes, cholesterol levels, etc. Urinary tests are also very good because they can detect stones in your kidneys.
    - chrisper 10y ago
      Isn't that rather expensive?
      - elorant 10y ago
        Where I live (Greece), it's like 40 euros.
      - pkaye 10y ago
        A standard set of the most common 25 or so blood tests costs total $50 in the US. You can get it ordered online and go to a local lab to get it tested. They will post the results online and note if anything is out of range.
- Tepix 10y ago
  You can get a checkup every two years when you're 40+ (paid for by your health insurance). Also skin cancer screening.
smacktoward 10y ago
Most decent insurance plans will fully cover the cost of a routine checkup, or at least only charge you a minimal co-payment. (They don't want to pay for a hospital visit for you any more than you want to have one.) I'm no doctor, so I'm the wrong person to ask about how often you should see one. But if it's been five years, it's probably time.
- roywiggins 10y ago
  "Wellness visits" under Obamacare are supposed to be covered in full, with no co-pay, but exactly what counts as a wellness visit (and not an office visit) is (probably intentionally) confusing. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/10/confusion-surrounds-free-obamacare-wellness-visits https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/10/confusion-su...
plg 10y ago
In Canada annual checkups by your GP are free. If needed, blood tests, x-rays, CT, MRI, whatever, free.
- dzhiurgis 10y ago
  'If needed' is slippery slope. I had multiple visits to NHS with chest pain and got nothing but a blood check. I still don't know whats wrong with me, but its not looking good.
  - fencepost 10y ago
    Part of what they're looking for is likely the chemical signs of a heart attack - if heart muscle is dying off, it's generally detectable in the blood. I suspect part of what they were looking for is BNP: "When your heart is damaged, your body secretes high levels of BNP into your bloodstream to try to ease the strain on your heart." (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/ART-20049357?pg=2 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/...)

sitharus 10y ago

The idea of a 'routine checkup' is an American thing as far as I can tell. I've lived in the UK and New Zealand and adults only go to the doctor when there's something wrong, or if you have known chronic conditions. You certainly don't have regular blood tests.

chrisper 10y ago
Yes, that is how I remember it as well.
pkaye 10y ago
How do they catch things like kidney disease early? I have stage four kidney disease and there are barely any symptoms. Stage five means dialysis. For me it is too late to properly fix it but if caught early with regular blood tests there are ways to slow it down. My feeling is regular blood tests are a necessity for many health issues.
- elorant 10y ago
  I had a kidney disease while in puberty, specifically nephritis. Since then, I take a blood test every six months. It's a great habit because it can catch a lot of problems, for example diabetes, cholesterol levels, etc. Urinary tests are also very good because they can detect stones in your kidneys.
  - chrisper 10y ago
    Isn't that rather expensive?
    - elorant 10y ago
      Where I live (Greece), it's like 40 euros.
    - pkaye 10y ago
      A standard set of the most common 25 or so blood tests costs total $50 in the US. You can get it ordered online and go to a local lab to get it tested. They will post the results online and note if anything is out of range.
Tepix 10y ago
You can get a checkup every two years when you're 40+ (paid for by your health insurance). Also skin cancer screening.

smacktoward 10y ago

Most decent insurance plans will fully cover the cost of a routine checkup, or at least only charge you a minimal co-payment. (They don't want to pay for a hospital visit for you any more than you want to have one.) I'm no doctor, so I'm the wrong person to ask about how often you should see one. But if it's been five years, it's probably time.

roywiggins 10y ago
"Wellness visits" under Obamacare are supposed to be covered in full, with no co-pay, but exactly what counts as a wellness visit (and not an office visit) is (probably intentionally) confusing. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/10/confusion-surrounds-free-obamacare-wellness-visits https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/10/confusion-su...

plg 10y ago

In Canada annual checkups by your GP are free. If needed, blood tests, x-rays, CT, MRI, whatever, free.

dzhiurgis 10y ago
'If needed' is slippery slope. I had multiple visits to NHS with chest pain and got nothing but a blood check. I still don't know whats wrong with me, but its not looking good.
- fencepost 10y ago
  Part of what they're looking for is likely the chemical signs of a heart attack - if heart muscle is dying off, it's generally detectable in the blood. I suspect part of what they were looking for is BNP: "When your heart is damaged, your body secretes high levels of BNP into your bloodstream to try to ease the strain on your heart." (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/ART-20049357?pg=2 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/...)