Do you have a family history for certain conditions such as colon cancer or osteoporosis? Did you mother have breast cancer or your father have prostate cancer?

Depending on your Medicare plan, you likely qualify for pre-symptomatic screenings for many conditions. Screening is the application of a test to pre-symptomatic individuals to classify them with respect to their likelihood of developing a particular disease. The following are recommended screening for individuals over the age of 65.

Please consult your primary care provider as you may belong to a group that needs additional screening tests and also be able to avoid some.

 Based on A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Here’s a rundown of the types of Pre-Symptomatic Screenings and Medicare Preventative Care Coverage that are available to you:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening:
  • Men between ages 65 – 75 who have smoked should have an ultrasound done once to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
  • Other men should discuss such screening with their health care provider.
• Blood pressure screening:
  • Have your blood pressure checked every year.
  • If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, or certain other conditions, you may need to be watched more closely.
• Cholesterol screening:
  • If your cholesterol level is normal, have it rechecked every 5 years.
  • If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, or certain other conditions, you may need to be monitored more closely.
• Colon cancer screening for men age 50 – 75: One of the following screening tests should be done:
  • A stool test every year
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years along with a stool occult blood test
  • Colonoscopy every 10 years
  • After age 75, you should discuss colon cancer screening with your doctor
  • You may need screening earlier or more often if you have risk factors or a family history of colorectal cancer
• Dental exam:
  • Go to the dentist every year for an exam and cleaning.
• Eye exam:
  • Have an eye exam every 2 years, especially if you have vision problems or risk factors for glaucoma.
• Immunizations:
  • If you are over 65, get a pneumococcal vaccine if you have never had before, or if you received one more than 5 years before you turned 65.
  • Get a flu shot every year.
  • Get a tetanus-diphtheria booster every 10 years.
  • Get a Tdap vaccine if you have not had one.
  • You may get a shingles or herpes zoster vaccination once after age 60. You can get it at any age if you never had the vaccination.
• Prostate cancer screening:
  • All men should discuss prostate cancer screening with their health care provider.
  • During screening a PSA test is done.
• Preventive health visit each year should include:
  • Checking height and weight
  • Screening for alcohol and tobacco use
  • Screening for depression
  • Screening for the risk of falls
  • Discussing medication interactions
  • Screening for hearing loss

• Breast exams:
  • Women may do a monthly breast self-exam.
  • Contact your doctor or nurse immediately if you notice a change in your breasts, whether or not you do self exams.
  • A health care provider should do a complete breast exam every year.
• Mammograms:
  • Women should have a mammogram done every 1-2 years, depending on their risk factors, to check for breast cancer.
• Osteoporosis screening:
  • All women should have a bone density test (DEXA scan).
  • Ask your doctor or nurse about how much calcium you need and what exercises can help prevent osteoporosis.
• Pelvic exam and Pap smear:
  • After age 65, most women can stop having Pap smears as long as they have had three negative tests within the past 10 years.