5 Health Screenings to Live Well With Diabetes

Here are five tests and screenings that will help you manage your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and prevent and detect diabetes-related complications.

Living Well With Diabetes Health Screening #1: Have your A1c levels checked regularly to see if your diabetes is controlled over time.

Daily self-tests will show your blood sugar at that moment, but you need an A1c lab test to see if your blood sugar is under control in the long term.

• If your blood sugar IS NOT well-controlled, you’ll need to have a laboratory blood test to check your A1c levels every three months.
• If your blood sugar IS under control, you should have an A1c test at least two times a year.

Living Well With Diabetes Health Screening #2: Get an annual diabetic eye exam.

This is a specific exam that can find damage to your eyes from your diabetes, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Certain eye conditions, like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, may not cause changes in vision right away. You might not know there’s a problem without visiting an ophthalmologist for a diabetic eye exam.

• If you haven’t had your regular vision exam yet this year, schedule it now and let the vision provider know that you need the diabetic eye exam.
• If you’ve already had this year’s vision exam, your doctor can refer you to an eye specialist for the diabetic eye exam.

Living Well With Diabetes Health Screening #3: Do a self-exam of your feet daily to look for signs of diabetic neuropathy.

Diabetes can cause nerve damage in your feet, called diabetic neuropathy. Take a thorough look at your feet—under and over—every day to check for sores that aren’t healing, numbness or changes in your feet’s temperature.

When you have diabetes, your doctor or a nurse should also examine your feet at least once a year to check for signs of diabetic neuropathy.

Living Well With Diabetes Health Screening #4: Get a kidney function test at least once a year from your doctor to check for damage caused by your diabetes.

Diabetes can damage small blood vessels, which makes it hard for the kidneys to do their job. It’s important for people with diabetes to have a kidney function test done at least once a year to detect any problems caused by their diabetes.

Living Well With Diabetes Health Screening #5: Take your diabetes medications as prescribed by your doctor and then review all the medications you take with your doctor once a year.

Diabetes puts you at greater risk for developing high blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart disease. Your doctor might prescribe a medication like a statin to lower your risks of developing high blood pressure or heart disease from your diabetes.

You should be taking all your diabetes medications as directed and talk with your doctor before stopping any of them. At least once a year, review all the medications you take with your doctor—prescription meds, over-the-counter remedies and any supplements.

SCAN’s Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage that includes diabetes medications. SCAN members can find the lowest copays on the prescription drugs to manage their diabetes at SCAN Health Plan’s Preferred pharmacies. For more convenience, order a three-month supply of your diabetes medications for home delivery from Express Scripts® Pharmacy. Call 1-877-842-9792 (TTY: 711) to get started with Express Scripts.

Keep Track of Your Care With SCAN’s Personalized Health Check Record

If you’re a SCAN member and not sure what health screenings you’re due for to manage your diabetes, check out your Health Check Record (HCR). This is a personalized checklist of care available in your SCAN online member account.

If you’re a SCAN member and don’t have an online member account set up for your SCAN Medicare Advantage plan yet, you can get one at scanhealthplan.com/register.

If you don't have a Medicare Advantage plan, take a look at the comprehensive coverage, award-winning service, and extensive network of caring physicians, offered by SCAN Desert Health Plan.