With about 11 weeks left in 2026, several health screenings are worth booking now. They include an annual wellness visit, routine bloodwork, a blood pressure check, cancer screenings matched to your age, a mental health check in and any imaging your doctor already ordered. Getting them done before Dec. 31 can also save you money. Many insurance deductibles reset in January, and unused flexible spending account dollars can disappear.
For Black Americans, the stakes run higher than a calendar. According to the American Cancer Society’s 2025 report, Black women are 38% more likely than white women to die from breast cancer. Black men are more than twice as likely as white men to die from prostate cancer. Screening is how those numbers start to move.
Which health screenings should you book before the year ends?
Start with an annual wellness exam. It gives your provider a baseline, updates your history and catches changes you cannot feel. Pair it with routine lab work, typically a lipid panel for cholesterol, an A1C or glucose test for diabetes, a metabolic panel for kidney and liver function and a complete blood count.
Blood pressure deserves its own spotlight. The American Heart Association reports that more than half of Black adults live with high blood pressure, and many do not know it. A quick cuff reading costs minutes and can flag a risk for stroke, heart disease and kidney damage years in advance.
Why does the calendar matter for your wallet?
This is the part most checkup guides skip. If you have already met your deductible this year, follow up tests and specialist visits may cost far less in November than in February. Waiting means starting the meter over.
Flexible spending accounts add a second clock. For 2026, employees can set aside up to $3,400 in a health FSA. Plans may let you roll over as much as $680 into 2027 or offer a short grace period, but not both. If your plan offers neither, leftover money is forfeited. Check your plan rules now instead of in late December.
Most preventive screenings recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are covered with no copay under the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court upheld that coverage in June 2025. One caveat to keep in mind is that if a screening turns up something and becomes a diagnostic visit, costs can apply.
What should Black women and men ask for?
Women ages 40 to 74 should get a mammogram every two years, according to the task force. Cervical cancer screening schedules depend on age and test type, so ask your provider where you stand. Colorectal screening now starts at 45 for adults at average risk, which matters because the ACS reports colorectal cancer death rates among Black people run 40% to 50% higher than among white people.
For men, the ACS advises Black men to begin talking with a doctor about prostate cancer screening at 45. Bring it up yourself. Do not wait for someone to offer.
Is mental health part of a checkup?
It should be. The task force recommends depression screening for all adults and anxiety screening for adults under 65. The holidays can stack grief, money stress and family pressure on top of an already heavy year. A short conversation with your provider counts as care, not weakness.
What is the smartest way to fit it all in?
Book this week, because December calendars fill fast as everyone else remembers their deductible. Schedule labs a few days before your wellness visit so you can review results face to face. Bring a list of every medication and supplement you take, and confirm your flu shot while you are there.
None of this is about fear. It is about walking into 2027 with real numbers instead of guesses, and making the money you already put aside work for your health.
