Your fall health checklist: 7 things to take care of before the end of the year
There are a few things worth checking off your list before the year ends that have nothing to do with holiday shopping.
When was your last annual checkup? Are you due for a screening or vaccine? Do you have enough prescription refills to get through holiday travel? And with Open Enrollment approaching, do you know what your health coverage will look like next year?
None of these things feels particularly urgent, which is exactly why they're easy to put off. But staying on top of preventive care now can help keep small gaps from becoming bigger interruptions to your health later.
Here are seven health to-dos worth tackling before the end of the year.
1. Schedule the annual visit you've been putting off
When you're feeling fine, going to the doctor may not feel particularly urgent. That's exactly why preventive care can be so easy to postpone. But primary care isn't only for when something is wrong.
An annual visit gives you and your provider a chance to look at your health as a whole, including your blood pressure, cholesterol, medications, family history, lifestyle, and any changes you've noticed over the past year.
It's also an opportunity to talk about where you want your health to go next and identify steps you can take now to help you get there.
“I encourage patients to have a healthy curiosity about their annual visit,” said Diane Plas, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, family nurse practitioner at Harbor Health. “Ask what we learned from your physical exam and lab work, whether anything has changed since your last visit, and what screenings or vaccines may be coming up. A well check shouldn't just be something you cross off your list. It's a chance to understand your health and what you can do to protect it moving forward.”
2. Find out which preventive screenings you're due for
There's no single preventive screening checklist that applies to everyone. Recommendations for screenings like blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and certain cancers can vary based on your age, health history, family history, and individual risk factors.
Instead of trying to sort through every recommendation yourself, ask your care team a simple question: Am I up to date?
And don't be afraid to ask what your provider is looking for. Routine lab work may help your care team evaluate things like anemia, blood sugar, cholesterol, and kidney or liver function. Depending on your age and individual risk factors, it may also be time to discuss screenings such as mammograms, Pap tests, or colorectal cancer screening.
Your provider can help you understand which screenings are appropriate for you now, which ones can wait, and what's coming next. Preventive care is about more than checking boxes. It's about understanding your health today so you can keep building it over time.
3. Get caught up on vaccines
Your annual flu vaccine may be top of mind this fall, but it's not necessarily the only vaccination worth checking. Depending on your age, health history, and previous vaccinations, your provider may recommend other immunizations as well.
If you can't remember what you've already received, don't let the confusion become another reason to put it off. Your care team can help review your vaccination history and determine what you need.
And if you're overdue for something, getting caught up now is one more way to help prevent an illness from interrupting your plans later.
4. Give your medications a checkup
If you take one or more medications regularly, fall is a good time to review them with your provider. Ask whether each medication is still working as intended and bring up any questions about side effects, dosage, or interactions. Be sure to include over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements in the conversation, too.
Check your refills while you're at it. Running out of a prescription is inconvenient any time of year. Realizing you're out while traveling for the holidays is even more frustrating.
5. Bring up what's changed, even if it isn't happening to you
You know the ailment you've been meaning to mention. Maybe your knee has been bothering you for months. Your sleep has changed. You've noticed a new digestive issue. Or you've simply felt different lately and aren't sure why.
Some changes are especially important to mention. Unintentional weight loss, blood in your urine or stool, or persistent digestive symptoms such as reflux, abdominal pain, bloating, or feeling full after eating only a small amount are all worth discussing with your provider. There can be many possible explanations for these symptoms, but your provider can help determine whether they need further evaluation.
Changes in your immediate family's health history are worth mentioning, too. If a parent, sibling, or child has recently been diagnosed with a condition such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, let your health care provider know. Family health history can help your care team better understand your own risk and determine whether it changes the screenings or preventive care recommended for you.
“Your family health history isn't something you fill out once and never think about again,” Plas said. “If a close family member receives a new diagnosis, tell your primary care provider. Certain conditions can run in families, and having the most complete picture possible helps us evaluate your individual risk, symptoms, and preventive care needs.”
Mentioning a concern or change early gives your health care provider an opportunity to determine whether it's something to monitor, treat, or investigate further. And health care should help you take that next step, not make it harder to take.
6. Take another look at your health insurance and benefits
Your health needs aren't necessarily the same from one year to the next. Your health coverage may need another look, too. As Open Enrollment approaches, think about how you actually used health care this year.
Were the doctors you wanted to see in-network? Did your prescriptions change? Did unexpected out-of-pocket costs come up? Are you managing a health condition that may require ongoing care? Do you anticipate different health care needs for yourself or your family next year?
And don't just look at the monthly premium. Consider the deductible, out-of-pocket costs, prescription coverage, provider network, and benefits you'll actually use.
For people who purchase coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage begins November 1.
Choosing a health plan should include looking at how that coverage works when you actually need care, what you'll pay, where you can go, and how easy it is to get the care you need.
7. Decide what comes next
Finally, don't wait for January 1 to decide that this is the year you're going to “get healthy.” Health isn't built in a day, and it doesn't start over with a new calendar.
Your next step might be scheduling a screening. It might be following up on something you discussed with your provider six months ago. Maybe it's finding a primary care provider you trust, getting back on track with a medication, or finally asking about something that's been bothering you. Whatever it is, make it specific enough that you know what to do next.
Health is built through momentum. The goal isn't to cram more health care into your life. It's to take the right steps at the right time so you can keep moving toward better health.
Your health doesn't reset on January 1
Insurance benefits may operate on a calendar year, but your health doesn't. The preventive care you get this fall, the conversations you start with your provider and the decisions you make about your coverage all become part of what comes next.
At Harbor Health, we believe health care should help people build and sustain health over time. That means looking beyond a single appointment or plan year and helping people keep moving toward better health with fewer interruptions along the way. So rather than waiting for a New Year's resolution, think about one step you can take now to keep your health moving in the right direction.
Schedule an appointment at HarborHealth.com with a Harbor Health care team to review your preventive care needs and make a plan for the year ahead. We have clinics across Texas in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso.