In an effort to live longer, more comfortable lives, today’s older adults are focusing on the prevention of illness and injury. Seniors are doing this by adopting healthier, more active routines. Senior citizens want to maintain vitality well into their retirement years.

As older adults turn 65, they seek effective, supportive solutions from their Medicare providers. To meet these needs, health insurance programs must provide diverse preventive health services.

What Is Preventive Care?

Preventive care encompasses an array of healthcare services intended to help an individual maintain his or her best possible health. These services are typically provided on a routine basis. Most health plans cover them with no out-of-pocket expenses required. 

Preventive care often includes various screenings, check-ups, wellness visits, and other tests. These tests help reduce someone's risk for developing health issues in the future. Preventive health services are designed to monitor covered individuals and present them with what they need in order to stay healthy.

The Focus on Prevention

Seniors today do not want to wait until they’re sick or have become injured before seeking medical care, and for good reason. The benefits of prevention and early detection of health concerns are numerous compared with attempting to treat an active condition.

• Early detection and prevention can be life-saving.
• Preventive care provides seniors with peace of mind.
• Preventive examinations and screenings are simpler (in both performance and participation) than intensive treatment.
• Wellness examinations are typically less painful than serious health conditions and their treatment procedures.
• Free preventive care is more affordable than the treatment of diseases, injuries, or health problems.

Healthy seniors want to do what they can to increase their years of life. Seniors above the age of 65 are finding ways to avoid illness, and looking to their Medicare providers for support. They are also hoping to reduce their medical costs and the cost of Medicare. 

Medicare & Preventive Care

Due to the passing of the Affordable Care Act, most Medicare parts and preventive care services do not have cost-sharing. Beneficiaries can only use it as a one-time benefit or a service that can be revisited on a schedule. 

Seniors have higher standards when looking for Medicare providers, and are looking for benefits that cover more than medical care. Seniors are looking at Medicare plans and coverage to make the most of their health care plans by providing diverse wellness programs. 

How Can Wellness Programs Help?

Seniors are a diverse demographic, and each individual is at a different stage in their life. No two seniors have the exact same quality of health, nor do they have the exact same health goals.

As such, preventative care services embracing a wider scope of benefits would be a step in the right direction for healthy, active seniors. Annual wellness visits and health screening options are beneficial. However, diversity within preventive health services has become a critical need. 

There is more to an individual’s health maintenance than doctor’s visits and medical screenings. This is why Medicare carriers must broaden their horizons. Carriers can encourage seniors to play a more active role in optimizing their health. 

Carriers can do this by providing senior access to health management activities, and accommodating the rise of preventative care participation. 

Benefits that promote an active lifestyle are already in existence for some Medicare beneficiaries. Vendors like Peerfit Move provide seniors with fitness programs, centers and facilities that meet a person's variety of needs. 

Medicare benefits can be more life-style centered. They can give seniors the resources they need to manage their own preventative health practices.

Offerings of gym memberships and online fitness solutions are one facet of what could become a truly multi-dimensional wellness program. Future preventive health services may include features like

• nutritional counseling services
• health and wellness classes
• memberships to organizations that align with their hobbies
• free access to local group activities    

Seniors need to be aware of the benefits their health insurance coverage offers. It's equally imperative for coverage providers to make an effort to meet seniors at their current stage of life. Care should extend beyond a doctor’s office, providing seniors with the resources they need to take prevention efforts into their own hands.

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