It’s hard to believe 2026 will soon be coming to a close. November has a way of sneaking up on us, and before we know it, we’ll be heading into a new year. While you’re making holiday plans and checking things off your year-end to-do list, it’s a great time to review your health insurance benefits and make sure you’re not leaving something important undone.
Many insurance plans reset their deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums at the beginning of the calendar year. If you have a high-deductible plan, you may also have an HSA or FSA with its own rules and deadlines. Take a few minutes to look at your insurance company’s website or call the number on the back of your insurance card to find out exactly what your plan covers and what, if anything, you have left to use before the end of the year.
This is also a good time to take stock of your preventive health care. Preventive care isn’t one-size-fits-all, and recommendations change as we get older and as our health and family history change. Your annual visit is a good opportunity to make sure you are up to date. At that visit, your physician will check your blood pressure and weight, and update your labs for cholesterol and diabetes screening if you’re due.
Cancer screening is another area where it’s easy to fall behind. Women ages 40 and up are advised to have screening mammograms annually, and cervical cancer screening is recommended for women ages 21 to 65. Colorectal cancer screening now begins at age 45 for average-risk adults, with several screening options available including stool testing and colonoscopy. For adults ages 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, annual low-dose CT screening for lung cancer may be appropriate. Don’t forget about bone health – osteoporosis screening is recommended for women age 65 and older, as well as for younger postmenopausal women whose risk is high enough based on an initial risk assessment.
Preventive care goes beyond cancer and heart disease, too. Depending on your age and circumstances, your visit may include screening for depression, counseling about tobacco or alcohol use, discussion of weight and nutrition, assessment of fall risk as you get older, and screening for certain infectious diseases or other conditions based on your individual risk factors.
And don’t forget your vaccinations. While the exact recommendations depend on your age, medical conditions, occupation, travel, and other factors, your yearly health review is a good time to make sure you’re caught up on recommended immunizations.
If you have an FSA, check your balance and make sure you understand your plan’s rules. Some plans allow money to roll over, while others have deadlines for using at least some of the funds. The same goes for HSAs, although the rules are different. Don’t feel like you need to spend money simply because you have it, but do make sure you understand your options so you don’t accidentally lose a benefit you’ve earned.
There is one important caveat to all of this: don’t schedule unnecessary medical care just because you’ve met your deductible. Healthcare isn’t a game of “use it or lose it.” If you’ve already had the appropriate screenings for your age and risk factors and you’re feeling well, you don’t need to find another test or procedure simply because your insurance happens to cover it this year. More medical care isn’t always better medical care. The goal is to get the right care at the right time. In fact, some screening tests can cause more harm than good when they’re done unnecessarily. A false-positive test can lead to an unnecessary biopsy or procedure, additional testing, anxiety, or treatment that wasn’t actually needed. That’s why preventive care recommendations are based on evidence, age, risk factors, and individual circumstances — not simply on what your insurance covers.
Finally, if your insurance is changing in January, take a few minutes to look at the new plan before the new year arrives. Check whether your doctors are still in-network, whether your medications are covered, and what your new deductible and out-of-pocket costs will be. If you have regular appointments or take several medications, knowing about changes ahead of time can make the transition much smoother for you and your physician. If you take regular prescriptions, make sure you have enough medication and that your refills are up to date. A new plan may have a different formulary, pharmacy network, deductible, or preferred medication list, so reviewing those changes ahead of time can save you some frustration later.
Before the holiday season gets into full swing, take the time to review your insurance benefits and your own health to-do list. You may discover that there are preventive services you’ve been meaning to schedule, a medication that needs attention, or an insurance change you need to prepare for. Or you may discover that you’re already doing everything you need to do — which is a pretty good place to end the year too!
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