Ruthman Companies Employees: Are you getting your FREE preventative care?

Regular doctor visits for preventive care are important for everyone. In many cases, preventative health visits are covered at no cost under your Ruthman Companies’ benefits.

Regular preventative care is recommended for men and women as outlined below. Consider incorporating these four screenings, tests and exams into your life to promote good health and prevent the onset of certain conditions. Talk to your doctor about the preventative care you need.

• Mammogram—A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray that allows doctors called radiologists to look for changes in breast tissue, which helps doctors find or detect breast cancer early, making treatment more effective. Women should have a mammogram every one to two years after age 50.
• Pap smears—Women should have their first Pap smear at age 21 and continue to have one three years until they are 65. Women over 65 who have three or more normal Pap smears in a row with no abnormal results can stop having tests.
• Pelvic exams—Women should have a pelvic exam every one to three years after having three consecutive normal exams to detect signs of illness.
• Colorectal cancer screening—Women should have a colorectal screening to detect cancerous cells and growths in the inside wall of the colon after the age of 50.

• Prostate cancer screening—Men over the age of 50 should have a yearly digital rectal exam and prostate screening test.
• Testicular cancer screening—All teenage and adult males should have a testicular exam every time they visit the doctor for a physical exam.
• Colorectal cancer screening—Men should have a colorectal screening to detect cancerous cells and growths in the inside wall of the colon after the age of 50.
• Skin cancer screening—Older men are twice as likely as women to develop melanoma and men, in general, are two to three times more likely to get non-melanoma basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers than women are. A skin exam by a dermatologist or other health professional should be part of a routine checkup.