Feeling good is a good thing. But it is not the only reason to pay attention to your health.
Preventive care after 65 is about looking ahead instead of waiting until something hurts or a new symptom appears. Regular primary care, recommended screenings, vaccines, medication reviews, and honest conversations about physical and emotional health can help identify risks earlier and give you and your healthcare provider a clearer picture of what you may need next.
Medicare Part B covers a wide range of preventive and screening services. These include certain exams, vaccines, laboratory tests, screenings, counseling, and health-monitoring programs. Coverage depends on the individual service and your eligibility. Medicare says most covered preventive services have no cost when provided by a healthcare professional who accepts assignment, although additional services may result in costs.
Healthy Connections accepts Medicare and provides primary care at locations throughout Arkansas.
The important question is not whether every person over 65 needs every test. They do not.
The better question is: What preventive care is right for me?
Preventive Care After 65 Starts With Primary Care
Preventive care is not one appointment or one checklist.
An ongoing relationship with a primary care provider gives you an opportunity to look at what has changed, what may need attention and what can be done now to reduce health risks later.
That could mean checking your blood pressure, reviewing a medication you have taken for years, discussing a screening you have been putting off or mentioning that your balance does not feel quite as steady as it once did.
It can also mean talking about things that may not seem like traditional medical issues at first: sleep, nutrition, physical activity, memory, mood, alcohol or tobacco use, sexual health, loneliness, home safety and your ability to manage everyday activities.
CMS includes many of these factors in the health-risk assessment used during the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit.
If you missed our previous article, read Medicare Annual Wellness Visit: What Arkansas Patients Should Know.
Know Which Health Screenings May Be Right for You
Screenings can help find some health problems before noticeable symptoms develop.
Medicare lists numerous preventive and screening benefits, including certain screenings for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, glaucoma, hepatitis B and C, HIV, and several cancers. Medicare also covers certain sexually transmitted infection screenings and counseling for people who meet eligibility requirements.
That does not mean everyone should receive every screening.
Age is only one factor. Your personal medical history, family history, previous test results, medications and other risk factors can affect which screenings are appropriate and how often you should receive them.
And recommendations can change over time. A screening that was appropriate at 65 may not necessarily have the same benefit later in life.
Rather than trying to build your own universal checklist, ask your healthcare provider:
“Which screenings am I due for, and are there any I no longer need?”
That creates a much more useful conversation.
Vaccines Remain an Important Part of Preventive Care
Preventive care after 65 also includes staying current on recommended vaccines.
Medicare covers several vaccines, including flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B vaccines when applicable coverage requirements are met.
Which vaccines are appropriate for you can depend on factors such as age, health conditions, previous vaccinations and other risks.
With fall underway in Arkansas, this is a particularly good time to ask your healthcare provider whether your vaccination record is up to date.
Review All of Your Medications
The list of medications a person takes can grow over the years.
That makes medication review an important part of preventive care after 65.
Bring your healthcare provider an accurate list of everything you take. That means prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements.
A medication review gives your care team an opportunity to look for possible interactions, side effects, duplicate medications or medicines that may no longer be necessary. Medication and supplement use is also among the information CMS identifies for review during a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit.
Do not stop or change a prescription because of something you read online. Talk with the clinician managing your care first.
Talk About Falls Before One Happens
A fall is not simply an inconvenience.
Falls are the leading cause of injury among adults age 65 and older. CDC reports that more than one in four older adults falls each year, and falls can threaten a person’s health and independence.
But falls are not an inevitable part of getting older.
CDC recommends discussing fall risk with a healthcare provider, reviewing medications that might cause dizziness or sleepiness, addressing vision concerns, improving strength and balance, and making the home safer.
Tell your provider if you have fallen, nearly fallen, begun avoiding certain activities because you are afraid of falling or simply feel less steady than you used to.
You do not need to wait for an injury to have that conversation.
Mental Health Is Preventive Health
Healthy aging includes emotional health.
Medicare includes depression screening among its preventive services. CMS also identifies depression, stress, loneliness or social isolation, pain, and fatigue among the psychosocial risks that can be addressed during the health-risk assessment associated with an Annual Wellness Visit.
If you have been feeling depressed, anxious, isolated, overwhelmed or unlike yourself, tell your healthcare provider.
Preventive healthcare can also include conversations about alcohol, tobacco and substance use. Medicare includes alcohol misuse screening and counseling and tobacco-use counseling among covered preventive services for eligible patients.
Healthy Connections also provides behavioral health services through Evolve Behavioral Health.
Your emotional health is part of your overall health. It does not become less important as you get older.
Pay Attention to Changes in Memory and Thinking
Occasionally forgetting a name or wondering why you walked into a room can happen at any age.
But noticeable changes in memory, judgment, thinking or the ability to manage everyday responsibilities deserve attention.
CMS includes detection of possible cognitive impairment as part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. Information from the patient and, when appropriate, family members, caregivers or others can help identify concerns that warrant further evaluation.
Mention changes you or someone close to you has noticed.
Starting that conversation does not mean there is necessarily a serious problem. It simply gives your healthcare provider information that may be important.
Sexual Health Still Matters After 65
There is no age at which sexual health automatically stops being part of healthcare.
Depending on individual risk factors, preventive care may include discussions about sexual health, sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention.
Medicare lists HIV screening, certain sexually transmitted infection screenings and counseling, and HIV prevention services among its preventive benefits for people who meet eligibility requirements.
These are routine healthcare conversations. Patients should be able to have them privately and without judgment.
Don’t Forget Dental Health
Your mouth is part of your health, too.
Regular dental care can help identify tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections and other concerns. Healthy Connections provides dental services at selected locations, including preventive care, cleanings, examinations and oral cancer screenings.
One important distinction: Original Medicare does not automatically cover routine dental care simply because a person is over 65. Dental benefits can vary depending on the coverage a patient has.
Ask about coverage and expected costs before receiving services.
Learn more about Healthy Connections Dental.
Healthy Aging Happens Between Appointments, Too
Your healthcare provider is an important partner, but preventive care does not happen only inside a clinic.
Physical activity, nutrition, sleep, social connection, tobacco and alcohol use, home safety and the ability to perform everyday activities can all affect health as we age. CMS specifically includes many of these topics when assessing health risks during an Annual Wellness Visit.
You do not have to change everything at once.
One step may be enough to get started.
Schedule the appointment you have been postponing. Ask whether you are due for a screening. Bring an updated medication list. Talk about that balance problem. Ask about a vaccine. Mention the concern you almost decided was not worth bringing up.
Preventive care is not about finding something wrong with you.
It is about giving yourself and your healthcare team more opportunities to keep things right.
This Week on The Living Well Podcast
This week’s Living Well Podcast from Healthy Connections looks at a habit many of us probably recognize: waiting until something starts bothering us before deciding it is time to see a healthcare provider.
The conversation focuses on why screenings, vaccines, medication reviews and other preventive services matter even when you feel fine.
The message is simple: feeling well and staying well are not always the same thing.
Preventive care gives you an opportunity to stay ahead of potential health concerns instead of only reacting after something changes.
Make Preventive Care Part of Your Plan
You do not need to memorize every screening guideline or understand every Medicare benefit before making an appointment.
Your healthcare provider can help you sort through what applies to you.
Healthy Connections has served Arkansas communities for more than 25 years and provides primary care along with dental, behavioral health and other healthcare services. Healthy Connections accepts Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance plans.
If it has been a while since you and your primary care provider talked about more than today’s symptoms or prescriptions, this is a good time to start.
Call Healthy Connections at 888-710-8220 to schedule an appointment.
Learn more about Healthy Connections Primary Care or find a Healthy Connections location near you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Preventive Care After 65
What preventive care should I get after 65?
Preventive care after 65 may include wellness visits, blood pressure monitoring, medication reviews, recommended vaccinations, appropriate cancer and disease screenings, fall-risk assessment, mental health screening and conversations about memory, nutrition, physical activity and other health risks. Which services are appropriate depends on your individual health history and risk factors.
Does Medicare cover preventive care?
Yes. Medicare Part B covers many preventive and screening services, including the yearly Wellness Visit, certain screenings, vaccines and counseling services. Coverage requirements and frequency differ by service, and additional healthcare services may result in costs.
Do I still need preventive care if I feel healthy?
Yes. One purpose of preventive care is to identify health risks or certain conditions before they cause noticeable symptoms. Feeling healthy is a good reason to continue appropriate preventive care, not a reason to stop it.
Is preventive care after 65 the same for everyone?
No. Recommendations can differ based on your age, medical history, family history, medications, previous screening results and individual risk factors. Your healthcare provider can help determine which preventive services are appropriate for you.
Does Healthy Connections accept Medicare?
Yes. Healthy Connections accepts Medicare for primary care services at locations throughout Arkansas. Patients can call 888-710-8220 for information or appointments.