PREVENTIVE HEALTH PRACTICES

Overview

The effectiveness of preventive services in reducing disease and premature death is now well documented. There have been dramatic declines for stroke mortality, cervical cancer mortality, and childhood infectious diseases because of the widespread application of such preventive services as high blood pressure detection and control, pap tests, and childhood immunizations. Other preventive services such as mammography have also been shown to be effective.

Many Americans lack access to an ongoing source of primary care, and therefore, to essential clinical preventive services as well as to other health care. Millions of Americans are without any form of health insurance and many more are underinsured. For a variety of reasons, in many areas, access to primary care is limited by an inadequate supply of primary care providers.

Even when access to primary care is not an issue, many preventive services are not offered by health care providers at regular intervals and few preventive services are covered under existing insurance plans despite their proven effectiveness in improving health.

HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AND HEALTH CHECKUPS IN ALASKA

It is estimated that 87.6% of Alaskan adults have some kind of health care plan. According to this survey, 12.2% of Alaskan adults do not. (National BRFSS Range 6.83 to 25.43%, National BRFSS Median 13.91%).

Of those persons with a health care plan, 80% report that their health care plan covers all or most of their doctor visits when they are sick. However, 59% of those with a health care plan report that their plan covers all or most of their preventive services when they are not sick.

In total, 13.2% of Alaskan adults reported needing to see a Doctor in the last year, but could not due to the cost. Of Alaskan females, 16.6% reported the same thing compared to 10.2% of Alaskan males.

In total, 62% of Alaskan adults had visited a Doctor within the last year for a routine checkup (even though they were feeling well and had not been sick). Of Alaskan males, 52% had visited a Doctor for a routine checkup in the last year compared to 74% of females.

Source: State of Alaska, Division of Public Health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 1992.