Discover why rethinking your primary care needs at age 65 matters

Are you 65 or older? Here’s why rethinking your healthcare is important. 

Turning 65 is a big milestone in your healthcare. First, you become eligible for Medicare. That’s a steep learning curve to understand all your options and know when to enroll in which parts of Medicare to avoid late-enrollment penalties.

Choosing the right Medicare plan for you is just one half of the puzzle. The other half is being sure you have providers who listen to you; give you proactive, personalized care; and are conveniently located near home.

Below, we’ll go through concerns you might have about rethinking your primary care needs. Feel free to call a licensed Humana sales agent if you still have unanswered questions.

I’ve had the same doctor for years. Why should I change anything at 65?

Dr. Aaron Sheets of Family Doctors of Pasadena* often sees patients sticking with providers out of familiarity. «People in their 20s cling to their pediatricians because that’s the doctor they know. It’s the exact same thing for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Dr. Sheets.

Once you age into Medicare, you might consider choosing a provider focused on caring for people aged 65 or older. The way they practice medicine is often different because they might:

• Spend more time with you during exams and see you more frequently throughout the year to help you keep your health on track. That’s because they’re focused on preventing conditions from starting or worsening.
• Offer a team-based approach where your primary care provider works with several healthcare professionals to support your whole-body health. This includes working with your specialists including cardiologists, pulmonologists and endocrinologists.

I’m pretty healthy. Why do I need a provider focused on people 65 or older?

Nobody has a crystal ball to predict their future health and wellness. That’s why building a relationship with a primary care provider at 65 can make a difference later.

“People don’t have the experience of being old. We don’t need to make a plan for what you need right now. We need to make a plan for what you’re going to need in the future,” said Dr. Sheets. “If you haven’t created a system with a physician and a support team, you could run into trouble down the line.”

A solid provider relationship supports shared medical decision-making. “We’re going to make better decisions together, always,” Dr. Sheets said.

I’m busy. Why should I spend more time with my primary care provider?

As you get older, seeing healthcare providers can feel like a full-time job. But spending more time upfront with your primary care provider while you’re healthy can help prevent time-intensive—and expensive—future problems.

Your healthcare team might be able to spot changes early on or even prevent unnecessary emergency care or hospitalization. Seeing your primary care provider first can save you time and money. Here are a couple examples from Dr. Sheets:

• “Let’s say a patient comes in for a blood-pressure check and brings all their medicines. The physician can say, ‘Look, it’s the wrong dose. That was the old prescription from a previous pharmacy.’ They take the correct dose and feel fine the next day. That happens all the time.” The patient avoided a more costly and unnecessary emergency visit.
• “If someone calls about being sick, their provider can ask them what they weighed in the last 10 days. The physician makes sure they’ve been tracking it for a long time. If their weight is stable, they may not need to come in. But if their weight is up 6 pounds with a little bit of wheezing, we need to evaluate them in person for congestive heart failure.” This kind of proactive care helps spot issues early on instead of letting them balloon into more difficult to treat and costly problems later.

I don’t want to deal with referrals. Why should I make my primary doctor the center of my healthcare?

It could feel like an extra step to see your primary care provider first before seeing a specialist. However, coordinating your healthcare on your own can be a big task for anyone, especially if you have chronic conditions.

If no medical professional is the quarterback of your care, you could deal with unintentional consequences like adverse medication reactions, which could put in in danger due to fall risks, cognition impairment and other safety issues.

“Because I’m doing all the referrals, I know what the cardiologist is doing and what the gastroenterologist is doing. I make sure communication happens because I’m the bridge,” said Dr. Sheets.

Humana gives you access to doctors who care

Your healthcare coverage and provider should both be committed to your health. At Humana, we help you find the right Medicare plan for you when you turn 65 and every year after.

We’ll also help you find providers in our network, like Dr. Sheets, who listen and put you at the center of their care. Call a licensed Medicare sales agent now or fill out this form to schedule a meeting.