Preventive care may feel like something you’ll “get to eventually,” but it’s essential for protecting your health and well-being. Staying up to date on routine checkups, screenings, and vaccinations helps you catch potential issues early, avoid chronic illnesses, and stay healthier over the long term. It can even save you money. Many preventive services are covered at 100% when you use an in-network provider, which means you can take important steps for your health without paying extra out of pocket.

Below, you’ll find five powerful reasons to prioritize preventive care this year and just how big an impact early detection and routine wellness visits can have.

1. You can catch silent health issues before they become serious

Many serious conditions – such as diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers – often develop without noticeable symptoms. With regular wellness visits and age‑appropriate screenings, you can identify potential issues early, giving you more care options and improving your chances of successful treatment.

Research shows that if every person in the U.S. received the recommended preventive care, an estimated 100,000 lives could be saved every year. Preventive screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer can detect cancer in the early stages when it is most treatable. For example, routine screening has helped lower the U.S. cervical cancer death rate by more than 50% in the last 30 years. Mammograms prevent roughly 12,000 deaths each year nationwide. Additionally, if men and women followed national guidelines for colorectal cancer screening, an estimated 33,000 lives would be saved each year.

When you detect health conditions earlier, treatment is often more effective – and far less disruptive to your life.

2. Preventive care can lower health care costs – sometimes dramatically

Preventive care doesn’t just protect your health, it can protect your wallet, too.

Seeing your primary care provider regularly has been linked to lower total health care costs. One large study found that patients saved an average of $3,976 per year after establishing routine primary care visits.

Staying ahead of potential health issues now can help you avoid big bills later.

3. A trusted relationship with your doctor leads to better long-term health

When you see your provider regularly, they get to know you, your health history, your habits, and your concerns. That familiarity helps them spot small changes early and guide you toward healthier decisions over time.

Strong primary care access has been shown to improve life expectancy and lower long-term health care costs. Additionally, communities with more primary care doctors tend to have lower mortality rates. One study found there were 0.9% fewer cardiovascular deaths, 1% fewer cancer deaths, and 1.4% fewer respiratory deaths for every 10 more primary care doctors per 100,000 people.

When your provider knows your baseline, small changes are easier to catch, before they grow into something more serious.

4. Preventive care supports your whole-person health

Preventive care isn’t just physical checkups. It includes mental health screenings, lifestyle counseling, and discussions about mood, stress and sleep. Because emotional, physical, and social health are deeply interconnected, these check-ins help support your whole‑person health at every stage of life.

People who keep up with recommended preventive care live longer, experience fewer chronic illnesses, and report better mental health. In fact, research finds that adults who undergo regular checkups report higher quality of life, better management of stress, and stronger perceived control over their health.

Additionally, annual wellness visits and regular primary care interactions improve screening, referral, and management of depression and anxiety, especially when mental and physical care are integrated.

Maintaining good health isn’t just about avoiding illness – it’s also about feeling more energized, emotionally stable, and resilient each day. Preventive care offers ongoing support that protects your long-term well-being and enhances your overall quality of life.

5. Preventive care can make you more productive at work

When you stay on top of your preventive care, you’re more likely to feel your best – at home and on the job.

Regular preventive checkups help catch illnesses early, allowing employees to address minor health issues before they turn into major problems that require time off for treatment and recovery. One study found that preventive health screenings can reduce employee absenteeism by 27%, particularly when screening for common risk factors like hypertension, high cholesterol, and glucose monitoring. Research from The Cigna Group found that working adults who have had a physical within the past year are significantly more likely to carry out their work duties than those whose last physical was more than a year ago (76% vs. 65%), and far less likely to feel burned out at work (33% vs. 42%). 

Preventive care also includes helping you manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. When these conditions are well-controlled, employees experience more consistent energy levels and fewer disruptions to their daily routines. For example, more than half of working adults who have a physical health condition and have had a physical exam within the past year feel they can manage their health condition (56%), compared to just 36% of those whose last physical was more than a year ago. This leads to increased focus, better problem solving, and improved overall work performance. In addition, the mental health screenings and counselling available through preventive care can play a key role in identifying and addressing stress and burnout. Case in point: Working adults who have had their annual physcial within the last year are more likely to report very good or excellent mental health.

Making preventive care a priority empowers you to bring your best self to work, day in and day out.

Prioritizing preventive care is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to maintain your long‑term health. By making these visits part of your annual routine, you can stay ahead of health concerns, lower avoidable costs, and set yourself up for a healthier, well-balanced life.