Health Check-Up: What you Should Know!

We can do a lot to stay healthy and fit for a long time. In everyday life, this is often not easy: stress eats away at our nerves, a lack of time thwarts plans for healthy eating, and a full desk prevents us from getting enough exercise. But even a healthy lifestyle can lead to illness. One more reason to undergo a regular health check. Especially since health insurance companies cover the cost of a one-time check-up for people between the ages of 18 and 35, and every three years for people 35 and older.

What is the goal of the health check-up?

The main goal of the health check-up examinations is to detect and treat diseases at an early stage. During the check-up, one is specifically screened for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. However, other diseases that have not yet become noticeable can also be detected by the examinations during the check-up.

What does the health insurance fund pay?

The insurance companies pay for the check-up once for insured persons between the ages of 18 and 35. Blood tests take place here only with a corresponding risk profile; a urine examination is not provided at all. From the age of 35, health insurers pay for a so-called health check-up every three years as part of the statutory early detection and preventive examinations for men and women. You can have this Check-up 35 performed by your family doctor. However, only basic values are collected – if you want to know more, you have to reach into your own wallet again.

Benefits of the basic health check-up from 35

As with any medical examination, the program includes a conversation with a survey of pre-existing conditions, risk factors and family history, as well as a full-body examination. This includes the following examinations:

  • Listening to the heart and lungs
  • The measurement of blood pressure and pulse
  • The determination of body weight and body mass index (BMI).

Through these examinations, the doctor can, for example, a COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or high blood pressure (hypertension) determine or exclude.

Laboratory tests and doctor’s talk at the check-up from 35

In addition to such physical examinations, laboratory values are also of concern. For this purpose, blood is taken and – just like the urine – examined in the laboratory. From this, a complete lipid profile is created, which includes total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Based on the values determined, the physician can identify possible metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or kidney disease. Elevated blood lipid levels, such as cholesterol, can indicate poor diet or hereditary lipid metabolism disorders. These represent an increased health risk with possible consequences such as a heart attack or stroke and should therefore be detected and treated as early as possible. If the physician sees the need, so-called risk charts are used to systematically record such cardiovascular risks. Depending on the results, advice is then given on how to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In principle, this should always be followed by a final medical consultation to discuss the findings and consequences. In the best case, the doctor will advise the person concerned and help him or her with concrete tips on how to eat more healthily, exercise more and work in a more relaxed way. Checking vaccination status is also among the services provided.

Additional services of the health check-up

The regular health check-up can be extended by a variety of additional services, depending on your wishes and needs. Most additional examinations can be performed flexibly, individually and without prior arrangement. However, these additional examinations – if they are not justified by a suspected diagnosis – must be paid for out of one’s own pocket, as there is no obligation to pay for them on the part of the statutory health insurance funds. For this reason, these additional services are also referred to as IGeL (individual health services). Nevertheless, additional services can be useful in individual cases. To assess the cardiovascular situation, a resting or stress ECG can be performed in addition to the paid services. In addition, a CBC and determination of other blood values can help detect diseases. These include, for example:

  • Thyroid level (TSH)
  • Kidney value (creatinine)
  • Liver values (GOT, GPT, GGT)
  • Uric acid (blood value for the detection of gout).

In people (mostly) over the age of 50, an ultrasound examination of the heart (echocardiography) may also be recommended, supplemented by an ultrasound (duplex) of the cerebral vessels. However, these examinations are usually performed only when symptoms are present or heart disease is suspected. The function of the lungs can be checked by spirometry to detect possible respiratory disorders. The abdominal organs can be checked through with ultrasound. Often, an examination of the eyes and ears is also advocated during the check-up: Hearing tests (audiometry) can detect the first signs of age-related hearing loss. An examination of the back of the eye can reveal vascular changes that indicate high blood pressure or diabetes, for example, but also provide information about the general vascular status. Ophthalmologists also recommend measurement of intraocular pressure.

Screening examinations for early detection of cancer

Often, the health check-up is coupled with cancer screenings – which vary by age – to detect cancer. The cost of the services listed below is covered by health insurance:

For women:

  • From 20 years once a year examination for cervical cancer.
  • From 30 years once a year examination for breast cancer by means of palpation, from 50 to 69 years every two years invitation to mammography.

For men:

For men and women:

  • From 35 years every two years examination for skin cancer.
  • From 50 to 54 years once a year examination for colon cancer by stool sample examination (occult blood test), from 55 years every two years if you do not go to colonoscopy (colonoscopy)
  • For men aged 50 and older and women aged 55 and older, colon cancer screening can be done by colonoscopy (repeated once after ten or more years)

These examinations of the statutory screening program are voluntary.