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May 31, 2022

The average life expectancy for a 50-year-old American male is about four years lower than for women of the same age. However, many contributors to premature male mortality can be avoided through health-conscious lifestyle choices—managing body weight, not using tobacco, using alcohol responsibly, managing stress, and more—and embracing routine preventive care.

June is Men’s Health Month, which makes it a good time to raise awareness and encourage men to prevent common illnesses that, left untreated, can rob them of precious years and result in high medical costs.

One example is screening for colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Despite research that shows screening can save lives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that colorectal cancer screening rates among adults 50+ are low: About one in three have not been screened. The CDC also reports that colorectal cancer has the second-highest cost of treatment of all cancers in the U.S.

Our plans cover a wide range of preventive services that can detect health concerns before they become major problems. We cover in-network preventive care—such as colon cancer screening for all adults 45+ at 100%. This includes (beginning May 31, 2022) follow up colonoscopy conducted after a positive non-invasive stool-based screening test or direct visualization test. Also included at no cost are in-network lab tests, procedures, other important age-appropriate screenings, immunizations and certain types of counseling for men, women and children.

Although adherence to preventive care waned with the onset of the pandemic, you can help your groups make it a priority. We recently updated our preventive care brochures with lower recommended ages for type 2 diabetes screening for people who are overweight. Please be sure your groups have access to the most recent brochures:

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