It's Men's Health Month: Forget the lawn, see a doc and kickstart your health journey

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas offers multiple options for wellness visits

RICHARDSON, Texas, June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Life is about choices, but when it comes to their health, many men would rather go shopping with their wives than go see a doctor, according to a national online survey.

If you're a man in need of a wakeup call about your health, June is National Men's Health Month  dedicated to raising awareness about preventable health problems, encouraging early detection and treating diseases while they remain in curable stages.

Preventive health screenings and checkups are the low-hanging fruit of health care. Yet, men die earlier, become ill at a younger age and develop more chronic illnesses than women. Men also are up to 50 percent less likely to seek medical attention than women, according to the American Journal of Men's Health (AJMH).

"As a guy, I know that 'doctor avoidance' is a real thing among men," said Dr. Mark Chassay, chief medical officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX). "As a physician, I know that the most clinically and financially effective way to manage an illness is to avoid contracting one."

"Alternatively, if you have an illness or disease, the emphasis should be on identifying and treating early when the treatment is more clinically effective and less costly," said Chassay. "But health care is a participatory sport. It must start with preventive health screenings and checkups."

The AJMH analysis supports a national online survey conducted by Cleveland Clinic that shows "72 percent of men would rather do household chores, like cleaning the bathroom or mowing the lawn, than go to the doctor."

The Cleveland Clinic survey also found that:

• 77 percent of men who are married or in a domestic partnership would rather go shopping with their wife or significant other than go to the doctor.
• Among the 20 percent of men who have not been completely honest with their doctor in the past, the top reasons why include:

• • They were embarrassed (46 percent).
  • They didn't want to hear that they needed to change their diet/lifestyle (36 percent).
  • They knew something was wrong but weren't ready to face the diagnosis and/or would rather not know if they have any health issues (37 percent).

• 41 percent of men were told as children that men don't complain about health issues.
• 82 percent of men try to stay healthy to live longer for friends and family who rely on them, yet only 50 percent engage in preventative care.

The good news, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is "61 percent of men said they would be more likely to go to their annual check-up if seeing the doctor was more convenient for them." Through BCBSTX, there are multiple options for men to find primary care and wellness visits virtually and in-person.

For BCBSTX members, health care coverage may include our Virtual Visits solution, powered by MDLIVE. Finding a Virtual Visits doctor is easy ? a just log in to Blue Access for Members^SM (BAM^SM). A Virtual Visit allows you to have a live consultation with an independently contracted, board-certified MDLIVE doctor or therapist. This can happen 24 hours a day, seven days a week by mobile app, online video or phone.

In-person primary care visits are also an option. For members who don't have a care provider, BCBSTX's Provider Finder^® is a tool to search for doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, urgent care and more. Non-members can also search for doctors, hospitals and other providers, as a guest, by accessing these helpful guides.

Chassay also offered the following tips as a foundation for lifelong health:

• Stay updated with immunizations and health screenings
• Eat right
• Avoid illegal drugs and excess alcohol
• Stay physically active
• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Manage stress
• See your doctor on a regular basis
• Live tobacco free

So, forget mowing the lawn ? for now. Go check on your health.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) ? the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas ? is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with more than 140,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 520 hospitals to serve more than 7 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico). Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas