It may be the best investment you can make, though it will never show up in your portfolio. It doesn't involve stocks or bonds, mutual funds, real estate or anything similar. But what it does share with these investments is the promise of a dividend; a pretty substantial one, too - your good health.
As almost any physician will tell you, the most effective way to avoid disease and premature aging is through maintaining optimum health and fitness.
A regular check-up is certainly the best place to start, but that can be a problem if you don't have a family doctor. Even if you do, OHIP covers only certain things, and busy family practitioners simply may not have as much time to devote to your care as you (or they) would like.
London's Medpoint Health Care Centre offers an effective alternative for people who do understand the value of investing in good health and are willing to pay for a complete health evaluation but don't want to have to travel to one of the many U.S. clinics that offer such services to Canadians.
Medpoint's Comprehensive Annual Health Assessment begins by compiling a detailed report of your health history and goes on to include a complete physical - plus a lot more. Patients undergo a battery of tests including blood, urine, vision, hearing, bone density, lung and cardiac function, gait analysis, strength, flexibility and general fitness.
There are also additional tests and consultations relating to health concerns specific to women and men, and Medpoint can provide you with customized dietary and fitness programs as well.
If necessary, referrals are provided to specialists, whose reports become part of your Medpoint evaluation. Any additional tests which may be required will also be arranged for you and may include such things as X-rays, ultrasound, mammography, CT scans, MRI scans, colonoscopies and so on.
The final results of the entire CAHA process and any offsite testing are presented in the form of a detailed report which your Medpoint physician then discusses with you. Any further or follow-up care can be arranged at that time.
"As a heart attack and bypass survivor concerned with maintaining good health, I was intrigued by the Medpoint program," said one recent customer. "So, I signed up and went through the process under the watchful eye or Dr. Sylvia Murchison. I have to tell you, Medpoint delivered everything they promised. The service was prompt and attentive and Dr. Murchison was as friendly and thorough as you could want a physician to be.
"Several other trained professionals were involved in the various areas of testing, too, and they were, without exception, encouraging and forthcoming when I asked them to explain the different procedures. It was a busy morning, but I never had any sensation of being hurried or rushed. The surroundings were nicely appointed, too, which added to the sense of being pampered.
"My journey through the Medpoint system was a positive experience and a very good investment in my own future. I could have taken a couple of days off work and travelled to the U.S. for a similar evaluation, but I couldn't spare the time and frankly, the cost would have been far more than the Medpoint fee (which covers those parts of the process not paid for by OHIP). I appreciate a good investment, but I don't like to overpay.
"Instead it took me a couple of hours and $600, and I now have a complete report on my current health status that I can share and discuss with my busy family doctor. (I'm lucky to have one, but if I didn't, Medpoint could help me there, too. They also operate a Walk-In Clinic that offers online appointment booking up to 24 hours in advance, with all costs covered by OHIP). If investing in your health seems like a good idea to you, take a look at Medpoint. Their promotional materials talk a lot about providing quality service and promise to "set a new standard in the field of health-care delivery".
"In my experience, they deserve full credit for doing exactly that."
Medpoint can be reached at 519-432-1919 or at info@medpoint.ca.
