Choose In-System and Save
Think carefully when choosing your healthcare providers and the facilities you visit. Your physician may be an in-system doc, but his new office on the South Shore is not! Another fact to keep in mind when choosing in-system providers: larger medical groups may have a mixed group of providers, some may be in-system, some not. Build your own network of in-system providers by searching the North Shore-LIJ In-System Provider Network at ciipa.nslijweb.com. Savings begin with low copays, no deductibles and no coinsurance.
Your Wellness Visit
Now that you have chosen your primary care physician, your annual wellness visit is a terrific opportunity to share any noticeable health changes that may have occurred since your last visit: a change in your sleeping habits, unusually weight gain or loss, erratic highs and lows in your mood, can be just some of the symptoms you may ignore on a day-to-day basis. Develop a relationship with your primary care physician, their guidance in your preventive care routine is an important element of your quality of life.
What Occurs at Your Annual Physical
Besides your confidential conversation with your doctor, you can also expect the doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to check your:
- Vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature
- Heart and lungs
- Head and neck: throat, tonsils, teeth and gums, ears, nose sinuses, eyes, lymph nodes thyroid, and carotid arteries
- Abdominal: liver and bowel
- Neurological: nerves, muscles, general balance and strength
- Dermatological: skin check for unusual moles or rashes
- Extremities: physical and sensory changes in joints
- Lifestyle
Wellness Pledge
If you are participating in the Annual Wellness Pledge Program, a visit to your primary care physician every year, is not only free of charge, it also credits you $260 in 2016 paycheck credits. Read more about the Wellness Pledge Program by searching this Blog.
