Searching for an annual physical near me around Vancleave? Our clinic, Total Health Urgent Care, offers annual physicals and wellness exams as part of its primary care, with blood pressure checks, lab work, and health screenings handled in one place. Walk in any day between 7 AM and 7 PM, and yes, that includes Saturday and Sunday!
We know a yearly checkup is easy to put off when you feel fine. That’s kind of the point of it, though. MedlinePlus explains that regular checkups “are different from appointments for sickness or injury” and “include physical exams as well as preventive care.” Cleveland Clinic says “A physical exam takes about 30 minutes to complete.”
Short on time? Here’s the gist:
- A yearly physical checks your vital signs, reviews your history and medications, and adds screenings matched to your age and risks.
- Fasting depends on which blood tests your provider orders, so ask first.
- Preventive care is often $0 with in-network insurance, though HealthCare.gov says that isn’t guaranteed.
- Total Health takes walk-ins every day, and you can book ahead if you’d like to keep seeing the same provider.
What does an annual physical exam include?
An annual physical exam usually includes a check of your vital signs, a look back at your health history and medications, a hands-on exam, and any screenings or vaccines you’re due for. Writing on familydoctor.org, the patient site of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Anna Askari, MD, puts it this way: “During a routine annual checkup, your doctor will look at things like your blood pressure, lab results, family history and lifestyle.”
Here at Total Health, the health screening visit on our services list includes an evaluation and examination with a history and physical, along with education on preventive health. Blood pressure checks, lab work and bloodwork, and flu shots and vaccines all sit on the list of primary care and preventive visits we offer in Vancleave. Our on-site lab can also send samples out for a multitude of other tests.
How often should you get a physical?
For most adults the answer is once a year, though healthy people in their 20s and 30s may get some leeway. Cleveland Clinic says “Most healthcare providers recommend you get a physical exam each year (annually).” In a separate Cleveland Clinic article, family medicine physician Daniel Allan, MD, says healthy patients in their 20s and 30s can come in every two years or so, then make it an annual habit after that.
Your own schedule is a conversation, not a rule. MedlinePlus says it plainly: “Talk with your provider about how often you should have checkups.” Blood pressure shows how age changes the math. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests yearly blood pressure screening for adults 40 or older and anyone at increased risk, and screening every 3 to 5 years for adults 18 to 39 who aren’t at increased risk and had a normal reading before.
Which health screenings come with a yearly physical?
The screenings at your yearly physical depend on your age, sex, overall health, family health history, and risks for certain diseases, so two neighbors the same age can walk out with different checklists. “Catching and treating diseases early leads to better health outcomes,” family medicine physician Neha Vyas, MD, says in Cleveland Clinic’s annual physical guide. Here’s how the USPSTF and MedlinePlus line up on several common screenings:
Those checks carry extra weight in Mississippi. America’s Health Rankings reports that 46.0% of Mississippi adults have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure, compared with 34.0% nationally, based on 2023 data. For diabetes, the same source puts Mississippi at 15.2% of adults, against a U.S. value of 12.0%, using 2024 data.
High blood pressure is sneaky, too. MedlinePlus warns that “High blood pressure usually has no symptoms.” In CDC survey data from August 2021 to August 2023, 59.2% of U.S. adults with hypertension were aware of it. Blood pressure checks and health screenings are both on Total Health’s preventive care list, and referrals as needed are part of our primary care services.
Do you need to fast before a physical?
You only need to fast if your provider orders a blood test that calls for it, so ask before your visit. The MedlinePlus cholesterol test page says “You may need to fast (not eat or drink) for 9 to 12 hours before your blood cholesterol test.” Its blood glucose test page says a fasting glucose test means at least 8 hours with nothing to eat or drink except water, and that same page notes an A1C test doesn’t require fasting.
Some routine bloodwork needs no prep at all. MedlinePlus says a complete blood count usually needs no special preparation and “is often part of a routine checkup,” though other tests on the same blood sample may need fasting. Got questions before your visit? Our team is happy to help at (228) 283-5045, every day of the week.
What should you bring to your annual physical?
Bring your medication list, your questions, your insurance cards, and any recent test results. MedlinePlus’s doctor-visit guide says to “write down all medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take” and to include over-the-counter medicines and herbal supplements.
- Your questions. That same MedlinePlus guide advises, “Before your visit, jot down your questions and concerns.”
- Family history. The guide also says to “Tell your provider about any family history of disease.”
- Past results. Cleveland Clinic’s physical exam checklist includes “Results from prior tests and lab work (including films and reports).”
- Insurance cards. If you’re using insurance, bring the primary card, and the secondary one too if you have it.
- Forms, if you’re new. Grab our new patient forms ahead of time: a New Patient Form, a Returning Patient Form, and a Privacy and Billing Consent form.
Is an annual physical free with insurance?
Often, yes, but not every time. HealthCare.gov says “Most health plans must cover a set of preventive services” at no cost to you, and that includes plans sold through the Marketplace. The same page notes the $0 coverage generally applies when you use an in-network medical provider. Read the fine print, too, because HealthCare.gov adds a caution of its own: “Coverage may vary.”
Total Health takes most major health insurance plans and handles billing with your insurer directly. Your insurer sets the co-pay, and it’s usually printed on your insurance card. Unsure whether your benefits cover the visit? Our pricing page asks you to contact your insurance company.
Shopping for 2027 Marketplace coverage this fall? HealthCare.gov lists November 1 as the day Open Enrollment starts, December 15 as the final enrollment date for coverage beginning January 1, and January 15 as the day Open Enrollment ends. If your coverage comes through work, HealthCare.gov notes that a group plan’s 12-month plan year “may not be the same as the calendar year.”
What does a physical cost without insurance?
Without insurance, an office visit at Total Health is $130, and that rate already includes the exam, referrals, and any medication prescribing. Since the clinic provides so many different services, it suggests phoning (228) 283-5045 ahead to ask about your out-of-pocket price. Hiring? Our services page notes that discount contract pricing may be available for yearly and pre-employment physicals and testing. See every posted rate on our self-pay pricing and insurance details page.
Is a Medicare wellness visit the same as a physical?
No. Medicare.gov calls its yearly wellness visit “a conversation-based visit” meant “to create a prevention plan,” and it says, “It isn’t a routine physical exam.” The same page warns that if Medicare doesn’t cover extra tests or services during that visit, like a routine physical exam, you may have to pay the full amount.
Is a sports or DOT physical the same as an annual physical?
No, each one has a different job. KidsHealth explains that “The sports physical focuses on your well-being as it relates to playing a sport,” and adds, “Regular checkups are still important for your overall health and well-being.” Student athletes don’t pay a cent for their school and sports physicals here, and the details are in our free sports physicals post.
DOT exams are their own category. On our services page, DOT exams are performed by a nationally registered medical examiner through FMCSA, and pre-employment examinations are built around each company’s requirements.
Where can I get an annual physical near me in Jackson County?
We’re at 12000 Hwy 57 along the Hwy 57 corridor in Vancleave, and the drive is easy from Ocean Springs, Gautier, Pascagoula, Moss Point, and D’Iberville. We serve patients from Biloxi and Gulfport as well. When you search for an annual physical exam near me on the Gulf Coast, here’s what we think the best options share, and how we stack up:
- Hours that work around your job: walk-ins are seen from 7 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Sunday.
- A provider who knows you: scheduling your ongoing primary care visits helps you see a familiar face every time.
- Lab and X-ray in the same building: a large portion of your care can be handled in a single visit.
- Prices you can read: the $130 self-pay office visit rate is posted right on our website.
- A local name on the door: Total Health is independent, founded by a nurse practitioner, and not a corporate chain.
Need care today instead of a checkup? We run walk-in urgent care too, seven days a week. Planned prevention can wait; a medical emergency can’t, so call 911.
Annual physical FAQ
Cleveland Clinic says a physical exam takes about 30 minutes to complete. The same Cleveland Clinic page says most healthcare providers recommend getting a physical exam each year.
Yes. Walk-ins are always welcome at Total Health, so no appointment is required, and booking ahead for ongoing primary care helps you stick with one provider visit after visit.
Often, but not always. HealthCare.gov says most health plans must cover a set of preventive services at no cost to you, generally when an in-network medical provider delivers them, and it cautions that coverage may vary.
Self-pay patients pay $130 for a Total Health office visit, which already includes the exam, referrals, and any medication prescribing. You can call (228) 283-5045 to ask about your out-of-pocket price before you come in.
It depends on your blood work. MedlinePlus says a cholesterol test may call for fasting 9 to 12 hours, while an A1C test doesn’t require fasting. Your provider will tell you which applies to you.
Yes! Saturday and Sunday hours match weekdays at Total Health in Vancleave, 7 AM to 7 PM, on the Hwy 57 corridor near Gautier and Ocean Springs.
No. KidsHealth says a sports physical focuses on well-being as it relates to playing a sport, and that regular checkups are still important. Total Health doesn’t charge student athletes for school and sports physicals.
Prepared for our readers by the Vancleave team at Total Health Urgent Care. Jennifer Duncan founded the clinic. She’s a nurse practitioner whose credentials are APRN, MSN, and FNP-C. Over more than 25 years, her work has centered on emergency and urgent care medicine. This general health information isn’t a diagnosis or personal medical advice.