Get a healthy start to the new year

One of the greatest, under-appreciated benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which remains the law of the land until amended, repealed or replaced, is access to preventive care services. According to the CDC, potentially preventable chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.) are responsible for millions of premature deaths each year among Americans. Because health problems impact productivity, they are a major drain on the economy, resulting in 69 million workers reporting missed days due to illness each year. This loss of productivity reduces economic output by $260 billion annually.

Preventive care doesn’t just include lab tests for adult diseases. Routine vaccinations can benefit all of us, regardless of age. Children need screening and assessments throughout childhood to be sure their development is on schedule. Women need prenatal care and screening for breast cancer. Many of us, including teens, need obesity screening and counseling, alcohol use screening, or depression screening.

Unfortunately, many of us only go to the doctor when we’re sick, or don’t go at all. We don’t find out we have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure before it causes irreversible damage to our kidneys or heart. We don’t go in for that mammogram or colonoscopy until the cancer has progressed to other body parts. We don’t get our flu vaccine and end up missing work or school and even land in the hospital. We ignore the feeling that something just isn’t right about the way our teen is acting, and only to find out he’s feeling depressed when his grades take a nosedive.

Preventive care is essential to good health throughout our lives. Getting appropriate screenings, following our providers’ guidance, taking any prescribed medications, and making healthy choices can help us all live more productively—and save us money. It can also help us live independently as we age.

Preventive care services are among the many Essential Health Benefits offered in Qualified Health Plans that include prescription drugs, emergency services, hospitalization, laboratory services, and mental health and substance-use disorder services.

Tax credits can make health insurance much more affordable. Approximately 56 percent of Oregon consumers can get health insurance with premiums under $75 per month. Even better, you don’t have to meet a deductible to get preventive care services.

Open Enrollment for 2017 health insurance coverage continues to run through Jan. 31, 2017 — you must enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage effective Jan. 1.

In Oregon, visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to enroll. To find local help, visit Oregon HealthCare or call 1-855-268-3767 (toll-free) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Once you’ve enrolled, schedule an appointment for your preventive care services and make a commitment to your health.

Susan Johnson is regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region 10.