United States Preventive Services Task Force Round Up

As a result of the pandemic, many Americans have skipped their annual wellness checkups, which include important preventive screenings based on age and gender. 39% of adults aged 50+ and 50% of adults aged 18-34 have delayed care or are still behind on necessary preventive screenings.¹ Due to missed screenings, there has been an increase of late-stage cancer diagnoses which in turn have become the top driver of employer spending.² 

Other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, also contribute to a majority of employer healthcare spending. Chronic diseases account for 86% of employer healthcare spending and cost employers $36.4 billion each year due to missed work (about $1,685 per employee).^3,4 

However, guidelines recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) have been proven to effectively expand access to preventive screenings.⁵ USPSTF guidelines outline appropriate age- and gender-based screenings to ensure the best preventive tactics are being provided to patients by their primary care physicians (PCPs). With routine wellness checkups aligned with USPSTF recommendations, patients engage in better preventive care or chronic care management for better whole-person health.

Here are a few USPSTF recommendations:  

• High Blood Pressure Screenings for adults 18+ 
• Unhealthy alcohol use for adults 18+ 
• Cervical Cancer Screening for women 21+ 
• Breast Cancer Screening (Mammogram) for women 35+
• Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes for overweight or obese adults 35+ 
• Colorectal Screenings for adults 45+ 
• Depression Screening for general adult population 
• Smoking Cessation for adults who smoke 
• Weight Loss Management for overweight or obese adults

First Stop Health (FSH) Virtual Primary Care 

FSH Virtual Primary Care aligns preventive tactics with USPSTF guidelines to ensure members are receiving the appropriate age- and gender-based screenings. Through a hands-on referral and care coordination process, the FSH Care Team guides members throughout their unique healthcare journeys. Barriers to care, such as cost, transportation and taking time off work, are removed as visits occur in a virtual setting. Virtual Primary Care allows members to have more frequent, longer visits with their doctor to keep them engaged with their health and up-to-date with their preventive screenings.  

1. https://patientengagementhit.com/news/covid-19-takes-a-toll-on-patient-access-to-preventive-cancer-screenings
2. https://www.businessgrouphealth.org/en/who%20we%20are/newsroom/press%20releases/2023%20lehcspds
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798200/
4. https://www.benefitspro.com/2022/12/27/with-health-care-costs-rising-fast-its-time-to-reign-in-chronic-disease-expenses/
5. https://patientengagementhit.com/news/uspstf-guidelines-effectively-boost-preventive-screening-access