Where to go for complete physical exam?
 

Before retiring, I used to go to a medical center in North Carolina that did complete physical exams - everything from bone density to hearing to cardio stress test to plaque buildup. I really like my GP here in The VIllages but he's not set up for that kind of examination. Can anybody recommend a medical center in or around The Villages that does this kind of complete exam?

Did you ask your GP for a recommendation, our PCP does a good job for a lot of items, but we use specialists for others, like hearing, dermatology, joint pain, etc.

OK, let's play devil's advocate. Why would you need or want "that kind of 'complete' physical exam"????

We don't do stress tests for the fun of it---we need a reason, especially since the false positive is 10-12% as is the false negative rate. Translation---if you get on a treadmill for the fun of it, there's a 10-12% chance you will end up with a cardiac catheterization.

Unless you are female or have some unusual bone disorder, you don't need a DEXA scan

Coronary artery calcium scoring has become popular for those with high LDLs, not a routine screening test

Bottom line, when it comes to medical tests, there are screening tests and diagnostic tests. They should NOT be confused with each other. Yes, there are places that make a lot of $$$$ by doing "complete" (also known as unnecessary) testing, many in Florida (probably only second to California). But fair warning---when it comes to medical testing, MORE is not usually BETTER.

I would be guided by your primary care physician as to what type of testing is indicated in your particular case

There are probably places near here, but you will have to pay for it. Medicare does not cover them.

When I have a medical test performed, I am always concerned that the doctor will recommend an unnecessary procedure to protect the doctor against a possible malpractice lawsuit. I would never undergo a screening that is not universally recommended by the medical profession.

Absolutely! Not only that, many of the places that offer "complete" examinations are simply Medicare and Medicaid mills, and often have fraudulent billing practices. Avoid at all costs.

Our Dr in Va always said be wary of invasive tests that are very often not needed.

And for good reason.

We have a neighbor that always have 3-4 doctor appointments a week for some test about something.
And their snowbirds, so they juggle the appointments and doctors between up north and here when they travel every 6 months.

bone density is covered by Medicare, but only one time every 2 years. I am diabetic, so I go for blood work every 3 months to check A1C and also other items. I went to a cardiologist 2 times to just "check" that everything is ok, and he told me not to come back until I really needed a cardiologist. Eye exam every year, dermatologist every year, sleep doc ( I have apnea) every 6 months, mammo every year, dentist ( for cleaning) every 4 months hearing( not so much).

I had a preventative medicine full physical every other year at Cooper Clinic in Dallas until I retired. I was going to ask the same question you did. The convenience of getting it all done in one place and in one day and then discussing with a doctor that has more than 10 minutes with you was peace of mind. Is it considered too late for preventative medicine if you’re on Medicare? I’m not there yet but dreading it from what I hear.

The world kinda runs on asymmetric information, eh? But educating yourself can be an awful lot of trouble. Such a dilemma. :-) Had a cardiologist *lie* to me to get me to agree to a more expensive test. When he tried to scare me with the risk of sudden death via "tachycardia" and I asked if he didn't mean "fibrillation", he turned around and left the room. Have since learnt that such strategy is not rare. Ashamed of what I know of some in my own profession. Be careful out there. And good luck. No easy answers.

I have never agreed that less information is better when it comes to health especially since the medical schools do a very poor job of covering nutrition. Sometimes bad news will have a motivating effect for people to take their health more seriously. The vast majority of our ailments in this county are due to poor diet and lack of exercise. The major concern I see with too much testing if it involves radiation or some other potential harm such as a colonoscopy.

I recommend one of my favorite podcasters who is a cardiologist who does short programs on the latest research for wellness. Heart Doc VIP with Dr. Joel Kahn.

(I might need some cognitive testing since at first I posted this in the wrong thread)

Okay, Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night???

:posting:

Great question!

As with (I assume) most of us, I've been getting regular colonoscopies as a preventative measure. I think most recently every five years. Comes time for my last physical, Doc asks me when my last colonoscopy was. 2018 as I recall. He then told me the "good" news: as I was now 75 I no longer needed regular colonoscopies, just "as needed" though he didn't define what "as needed" would consist of.

Was it good news? Or at 75 does the insurance look at me as someone with one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peeling, so why waste money checking for things when odds are I'm going to be cashing it in soon enough anyway?