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The “yearly medical checkup” at your primary care doctor (GP doctor) is largely an American healthcare phenomenon. People around the world, who live in highly

The “yearly medical checkup” at your primary care doctor (GP doctor) is largely an American healthcare phenomenon. People around the world, who live in highly industrialized countries with guaranteed-issue health insurance coverage (whether it be national/public/private health insurance) go to their doctors at a rate much higher than Americans. We are generally talking about a multiplicative factor on average when comparing the American population to another country’s entire population. There is a direct relationship between seeing a doctor at a minimum X interval regularly (while in excellent, good, or fair health) versus costs to the /American health insurer/ (or employer paying for the insurance if they are self-insured). That is why you see ads on TV saying “make sure to schedule your annual checkup with your primary care doctor, brought to you by Aetna!”

queuep 6y ago
Yearly medical checkup? Is that for all ages? I can't remember last time I went to the doctor
- disabled 6y ago
  You are generally supposed to go to your primary care doctor (general practitioner) every year, at minimum, as an adult. Infants go to see a pediatrician at much shorter shorter intervals, which is also due in part to vaccines and the need to check for developmental issues. Young children go in for checkups more frequently than adults to spot developmental issues (parents need to know developmental milestones backwards and forwards--and also log when they occur) along with vaccines. School-aged children generally go in yearly to the pediatrician, where checks on development occur, with the exception for certain vaccines like the HPV vaccine. No matter what, the first 5 years of life determine a lot in life when it comes to the future, so it is crucial that developmental milestones are being met. If not, these problems can often be resolved with therapy, of various sorts, and children often catch up without issue. It is important that developmental milestones occur at appropriate times at older ages, too. But, there are basic crucial things that must be done for young children like nurturing your child, socializing your child, getting an early start on education, getting top-notch healthcare, etc. that keep the child healthy (also things like personality disorders are often caused by parents not properly socializing their children at a very young age). Investing in the first 5 years of life, as much as possible, has the most potential for a family (also a society) when it comes to their children and their life outcomes. So, it can be argued that parents should have substantial paternity leave so that the human potential of society is fully realized in the future (I am not a parent myself, and I cannot have kids, due to health problems).

queuep 6y ago

Yearly medical checkup? Is that for all ages? I can't remember last time I went to the doctor

disabled 6y ago
You are generally supposed to go to your primary care doctor (general practitioner) every year, at minimum, as an adult. Infants go to see a pediatrician at much shorter shorter intervals, which is also due in part to vaccines and the need to check for developmental issues. Young children go in for checkups more frequently than adults to spot developmental issues (parents need to know developmental milestones backwards and forwards--and also log when they occur) along with vaccines. School-aged children generally go in yearly to the pediatrician, where checks on development occur, with the exception for certain vaccines like the HPV vaccine. No matter what, the first 5 years of life determine a lot in life when it comes to the future, so it is crucial that developmental milestones are being met. If not, these problems can often be resolved with therapy, of various sorts, and children often catch up without issue. It is important that developmental milestones occur at appropriate times at older ages, too. But, there are basic crucial things that must be done for young children like nurturing your child, socializing your child, getting an early start on education, getting top-notch healthcare, etc. that keep the child healthy (also things like personality disorders are often caused by parents not properly socializing their children at a very young age). Investing in the first 5 years of life, as much as possible, has the most potential for a family (also a society) when it comes to their children and their life outcomes. So, it can be argued that parents should have substantial paternity leave so that the human potential of society is fully realized in the future (I am not a parent myself, and I cannot have kids, due to health problems).