Prevention

On our way to the third reception for the health care reform art exhibit on a rainy Friday night, Regina Holliday and I spent a bit of time stuck in DC traffic. We ended up comparing definitions of what constitutes an "annual physical." For Regina, an annual physical includes blood work. For me, it doesn't usually include blood work. One of the factors here might be that Regina has long-standing relationships with doctors who see the value in doing routine blood work. As Regina asked, "How would you get a baseline?"

I, on the other hand, have been on a Kaiser Permanente plan and only had blood work done when I specifically requested it. And they sent me a big bill for it! I have only had blood work done twice (at least that I can remember) in the last 7 years...the time I just mentioned, and another time in 2003 when I had the option to participate in a work site wellness program. I have been consistently insured for the past 7 years, but through 4 different insurers in two states. I typically only see my primary care physician 2 or 3 times (at most) before I am assigned a new one in a new system.

While I was at the Health 2.0 conference earlier this month, I met Fred Goldstein from U.S. Preventive Medicine. (I had seen him speak (picture above), but hadn't connected the dots to realize this was the same person yet). The name of his company caught my attention, so I asked him about it. They do comprehensive blood work (and have you fill out a 'health risk assessment') to get a baseline on your health and risk factors. They work with you to create a personalized prevention plan based on your individual needs. You get to talk to a nurse, who also will follow up with you to see how you're faring on your plan. The program is called The Prevention Plan.

So many of these promising plans are only available through employers or specific health insurance plans, but The Prevention Plan is also available directly to individuals. The cost of the first year is a little more than what Kaiser Permanente charged me for my blood work. In return, I get more comprehensive blood work done and get a personalized prevention plan with web support and nurse support.

I told Fred that I am trying out free and inexpensive tools for health management and documenting my experiences on this site (e.g., HealthVault WalkMe). We agreed to do a barter exchange - a one-year complimentary membership to The Prevention Plan in exchange for me documenting my experience with it. Other than acknowledging that I have received a free trial (that would have otherwise cost about $200), I will document my experiences with the program.