Health check-ups are essential to prevent and detect many pathologies as early as possible. Review of details on registration procedures, the conduct of a check-up and the population concerned.

A health check – also called a “check-up” – is a set of medical examinations carried out with the aim of detecting a disease in people who do not experience particular symptoms. It is covered by Health Insurance.

These preventive medical follow-ups make it possible to assess a person’s state of health and to decide on early treatment when a previously unsuspected disease is detected. Let us not forget that a care protocol decided at the onset of an illness is more effective than if it is implemented late.

The health check is intended for French people aged 15 and over. To benefit from it, it suffices to be affiliated with the general service of Social Security. The beneficiaries of insured persons can also claim free health checks, generally every five years or more frequently in the event of fragile health. More generally, policyholders from other health insurance plans can be granted, on request, support allowing them to benefit from a free health check-up.

Some insured persons remain priority, including beneficiaries of an AT (Work Accident) pension, the disabled and the disabled, people in precarious situations, seniors from 60 to 75 years old, young people from 16 to 25 years old but also “inactive” people who have been exposed to dust and asbestos during their professional career.

To be able to benefit from a free health check-up, you should contact your affiliate fund. A specific form to be completed is given to the insured who must indicate his identity, his address, his registration number, the dates and times of the desired appointments. He can also register his beneficiaries interested in a complete check-up. This form must be returned to the affiliate fund.

A few days later, the insured receives a summons as well as a medical questionnaire. The patient can claim financial compensation if his absence for a medical check-up results in a loss of salary. He may also request reimbursement of travel expenses to get to the examination center. He just needs to contact his caisse to find out about the necessary steps.

The insured presents himself to the meeting previously fixed with the Examination Center where various investigations will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team. It is very important to be fasting and provided with the medical questionnaire.

The health check-up generally lasts between 2:30 and 3 hours. It includes at least a complete clinical examination carried out by a doctor, a biometric assessment (Body Mass Index, weight, height), arterial measurement, blood samples for a biological examination and urine samples for a urinary examination as well as a “Hemocult” test.

Depending on the case, a gynecological examination, a dental examination, a measurement of visual and hearing acuity, a control of breathing (spirometry), even an electrocardiogram, a lung X-ray, a memory test can also be performed. Some insured are seen by a dietitian. All these examinations are adapted during the assessment to the situation and / or the age of each insured, hence the importance of bringing the medical questionnaire previously provided by the Center.

An individual interview is scheduled at the end of the check-up, during which the doctor delivers his initial conclusions to the insured. Depending on the results of the health check, he may offer additional examinations or a new appointment, or if the insured person is a smoker, help with smoking cessation. At the end of the health check-up, a snack is usually served to the insured.

As health check-ups can be performed regularly, they represent a good means of monitoring people who do not present with particular manifestations. Thus, any health check-up is a means of early detection of an underlying disease which, without treatment early enough, can worsen. This is for example the case of cancers, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and many other pathologies. Taking stock of one’s state of health at different times in life is essential so that the necessary measures are taken as soon as possible as soon as a pathology is suspected or detected. This is why it is important to ask your health insurance fund for a health check-up for yourself and your family.