"No need"

[George K]

In the old days, a routine EKG was part of your annual screenings when you saw the doc.

When I was working, the standard was that any male over the age of 50 needed to have a pre-op EKG within 6 months of elective surgery, because you never know. I don't know if that's still the standard.

Anyhow, I saw my internist yesterday. She did a cursory physical (nobody does a good physical these days) and ordered a bunch of lab work to assess my hypertension and other issues.

But, I forgot to ask...

Thanks for your time today!

I forgot. Should I have an EKG done? It's been quite a while.

George

She replied this PM.

Hi George,

Always a pleasure to see you in clinic. Unless you are experiencing any symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, etc), we would not need to get an EKG at this time.

-DD

Wow.

[Mik]

Such a simple thing to do only takes a few minutes. Maybe they just want you to buy your own.

[Jolly]

Insurance?

[jon-nyc]

That’s my guess. Can’t bill it without one of those symptoms in the record.

[George K]

Regarding #3, I have at least two of the risk factors.

[Mik]

Well, Medicare won't pay for an annual physical anymore. It's now an invasive interrogation a 'wellness visit' where they do little to nothing of value.

[Tom-K]

I have a bit of hypertension and I get a EKG every year during my visit. I got a sholder replaced (BEST thing I ever did) and I got one of those nuclear fusion stress tests before hand. I also get lots and lots of blood tests before I have my visit, so far for no apparent reason.

[Doctor Phibes]

The much-maligned NHS sent a guy around to my mother's house to do an EKG when she was in her 80's.

[Copper]

@Mik said in "No need":

Such a simple thing to do only takes a few minutes.

That’s why you have a wristwatch

[kluurs]

Last year I went all out on every blood test I could find predictive of health - but just the cursory physical exam. My Apple watch provides an estimate of my V02 max - which last year was a bit over 48 mL/kg/min but a year later it is around 39 - so about a 20% decline. I'm doing the same activities as last year - but I do notice a marked decline in speed in my track workouts. They're not as easy, nor as quick. So, this year we're putting that issue on the "let's check this out" list.