Charles Testerman is on medicare and has been coming to the McDonald County Health Fair for the last few years. Here he gets his blood drawn and bone density testing done.
Charles testerman, "Medicare doesn't include if you take the full range of the blood tests here, so I had to pay for that myself"
R.N. Fran Cloyd and the Freeman Screen Team offered residents a variety of tests, for only $10.00.
Fran Cloyd, "It can be a life saving thing to do, go to the screening"
Cloyd says that some residents have found out they had high blood pressure, low bone density scores, that may lead to osteoporosis and even cancer.
Fran Cloyd, "As far as the blood tests we've had people who have found out they have had certain cancers or heart disease and things like that and they just had no idea that was going on"
For some residents, coming to a health care fair might mean getting services that their current health care plan, might not provide.
Charles Testerman,"The tests they do are very expensive if you go some place else to have them done and most of the insurance companies don't cover it, so its a good place to come to get it done"
At The Body & Mind Healthy Living Expo in Joplin, Carlson Chiropractic Center offered free spinal screenings. Mercy Hospital offered body mass index tests to help residents learn their percentage of fat ..that and cholesterol checks can alert someone to risks of heart attack and strokes. Checks a regular doctor might do if you can afford one.
Arthur Clark, "I wish I had insurance but, I'm real healthy so I don't even worry about it, I probably get sick once every 6 years"
But there's peace of mind in knowing his health passes the test.
