By Anthony Ellis, WCI Columnist

For better or for worse, the evolution of preventive care has progressed to the point of “direct-to-consumer” advertising and screening services that do not require a clinician’s orders. Since about age 40, my primary care doctor has ordered a set of “screening laboratory tests” every year with my routine physical. They are stored in the company’s “app,” facilitating the comparison of previous results and spotting trends.

As time passed, insurance practices have changed. This annual preventive care has become harder to get without out-of-pocket expenses for copays and deductibles—or even the ubiquitous “prior authorization” or research as to “in-network” status. As I write this, my “PCP” is a nurse practitioner for the first time in my life. We moved to a new state, and she had the first opening when I called for my routine checkup appointment. The waiting times for routine appointments in