Annual preventive care can save you money and sometimes a whole lot more.
How can this be true?
It’s no secret that using your health plan costs money. When you go to the doctor for a preventive visit, it may not cost you money, but it will cost the plan money. If you go to the ER, it will cost you money AND the plan money. So, let’s use an annual visit to your doctor as an example. Let’s say you decide you want to save the plan money by NOT going to the doctor. But you have some underlying conditions, such as pre-diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea that are going untreated. You’ve saved yourself and the plan money, but what happens next?
Undiagnosed pre-diabetes can lead to type II diabetes, an entirely avoidable condition. In speaking to cost alone, not the ever-more-important quality of life, the numbers tell us a lot.
Type II diabetes costs the plan an average of $16,223,830 annually, or $13,187 per member receiving diabetes care per month.
Members (that’s YOU) pay an average of $1,433 per month for diabetes care.
So maybe you decide it’s not worth taking care of your diabetes to avoid the cost. What happens then?
Untreated diabetes, or high or extremely high blood sugar, can affect various cells and organs in the body. Complications include kidney damage, eye damage, or an increased risk for heart disease or stroke. Chronic conditions, like nerve damage or stomach issues can also develop. Extremely high blood sugar can even lead to coma. Fact: Diabetes can actually kill you if not diagnosed and managed properly. Save yourself money. Give yourself a better quality of life. Schedule your annual preventive care visit with your primary care physician (PCP)! Visit myCigna.com or call the Wellness Center to schedule an appointment if you don’t already have a primary care physician.
How you spend your health care money matters. Not just for you but for your Brothers and Sisters, too.
Questions?
Visit myCigna.com or call Cigna One Guide: 800.244.6224;
Call Carpenters Wellness Center to schedule a visit with a primary care physician: 314.955.WELL; or
Call Carpenters Member Services at 877.232.3863, option 1, Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm.
