# Your Annual Physical as a Financial Strategy: How Preventive Health Spending Impacts Lifetime Wealth
Skipping your annual physical to save $200 today can cost you thousands in medical bills tomorrow. Preventive health spending functions as financial insurance, catching diseases early when treatment proves cheaper and more effective.
The math is straightforward. An annual physical with bloodwork costs between $200 and $500 out-of-pocket, depending on your insurance plan and location. Preventive visits are often fully covered by insurance under the Affordable Care Act. A colonoscopy at age 50 catches colorectal cancer at stage one, when survival rates exceed 90 percent and treatment costs run $50,000 to $100,000. Miss it, and stage four treatment can exceed $300,000 while survival drops to 15 percent.
Preventive dentistry works the same way. Annual cleanings cost $100 to $200. Ignoring tooth decay until an extraction becomes necessary adds $1,000 to $3,000 per tooth for implants. Gum disease left untreated links to heart disease and stroke, conditions that rack up six-figure hospital bills.
High blood pressure screening costs nothing at most pharmacies. Untreated hypertension causes heart attacks and kidney failure, each generating $50,000 to $200,000 in emergency care and ongoing treatment. Catching it early through a $40 annual visit and managing it with generic medications like lisinopril or metoprolol runs $10 to $30 monthly.
Your wealth-building strategy should include preventive spending as a line item. Budget $1,000 to $2,000 yearly for primary care, dental work, eye exams, and screenings appropriate to your age. Those costs pale against the financial devastation of late-stage