25 Sep Only 8% of Adults Get All the Preventive Care They’re Due. Here’s What Everyone Else Is Missing
Notice: This post is provided for background information only. Consult your healthcare provider for specific medical advice, screening recommendations, or any health concerns.
When researchers at the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality examined whether American adults were getting the preventive care recommended for them, they found that as of 2015, only 8% of US adults aged 35 and older had received every high-priority preventive service appropriate for them. Nearly 5% had received none at all. These are not obscure or experimental tests — the list included blood pressure checks, cancer screenings, vaccinations, and depression screening, services that major expert panels agree save lives. For most people with private insurance, many of them cost nothing out of pocket. Keeping patients current on that list is one of the less visible skills of the best family medicine specialists, and it is something patients can actively ask for. According to the AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), the lack of a usual source of primary care is among the most consistent predictors of missed preventive services — alongside lack of insurance and difficulty getting appointments.