Year-End Health To-Dos

Between taking the grandkids back-to-school shopping, debating with your siblings about who’s going to host Thanksgiving and everything else on your to-do list, you might have forgotten (or avoided) something major: your healthcare appointments.

If that describes you, you’re not alone. According to a 2025 survey by Aflac, as many as 90% of Americans have put off a checkup or screening—including mammograms, pap smears, blood tests, colonoscopies, prostate exams and even skin cancer tests. Reasons range from cost concerns to embarrassment to logistical issues, such as transportation problems or scheduling time off work.

Other people simply fear they might get bad news. Maybe that’s why as many as 52% of us have missed scheduled healthcare appointments. However, it’s important to make time for your health before the end of the year because:

Prevention (or catching a condition early) is vital. While you might not like the news that you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, annual checkups provide you with this information so you can avoid more serious conditions in the future, such as a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, early diagnosis of a condition may lead to the use of less invasive treatments, resulting in lower healthcare costs and a higher chance of survival. For example, people diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer have a 5-year survival rate of nearly 100%, while those diagnosed during stage 4 have a survival rate of only 32%.

You should maximize your health benefits. After all, if you’ve met your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum already, any other appointments you make would be fully covered. However, those rates will reset at the beginning of the new year. In addition, if you have a flexible spending account (FSA), you’ll want to cash in on that. Those pre-tax funds are often in the “use it or lose it” category, so why not use them for appointments, eyeglasses or medications?

It’s time to be proactive. According to one survey, 65% of Americans reported that a health scare was what finally convinced them that their health was a priority. But why wait? Instead, start developing healthy habits now and use your appointments for annual screenings, updating your immunizations, discussing your mental health, reviewing your medications, or even discussing your health goals with your doctor. That could range from eating healthier to finding ways to improve sleep.

Remember, routine and preventive screenings can catch health conditions early on, when they are most treatable. And no matter the health challenge you’re facing, your primary care physician’s goal is to help you.

After all, you want to be as healthy as you can for all the upcoming events on your calendar.

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