You’ve heard the saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’? That rings true when it comes to health care, but younger generations are apparently hesitant to seek out preventative care.
“The reality is people are just seeing their doctors less, and there’s less doctors to see,” said Dr. Daniel Meltzer, Executive Medical Director for RegenceBlueCross BlueShield on the Health trend of primary care avoidance.
“We’ve just seen over the last 10 years that the number of adult Americans that have primary care physicians is decreasing steadily by about 10 percent,” he said.
Dr. Meltzer said access to healthcare is a significant part of the problem.
“It has to do in part with where people live. So, yes, there are less clinicians but if you’re in the metro area like Salt Lake you have better access than if you’re in a more rural or frontier area,” said Meltzer.
Baby Boomers see their doctor more often, but younger generations not so much. Dr. Meltzer said that’s not good.
“Bottom line is across all ages, whether it’s children, newborns, to the older adults, reduces the risk of getting diseases and/or facilitates good care.”
A BlueCross BlueShield study shows in general Millennials are less healthy than Gen Z at the same age.
“We know for example that cardiovascular disease – the number one killer in America – it’s a 40 to 50 year disease,” said Meltzer.
For those unsure of how to find that primary care provider, there are easy to use tools available right online.
“There’s a lot of options, not surprisingly. Hospital websites sort of have a ‘find your doctor’ feature so given the different health systems in your community; those are good places to look," said Meltzer.
Health insurers also offer multiple resources, and the Federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has a tipsheet online as well.
However you find your favorite physician, experts say now is the time.
