Description
The Annual Physical is an $8 billion+ ritual. But major studies show it doesn’t reduce mortality. So why is it still the center of American primary care?
This video explores the surprising history and modern-day transformation of the “annual physical.” I trace its journey and show you:
How the exam began not just as a medical idea, but as an actuarial tool for life insurance companies in the early 1900s.
Why corporations and the AMA championed the exam, linking it to workplace productivity and a new “moral duty” for individuals to manage their health.
How the visit was repurposed in the 1990s as a data collection tool to feed HEDIS quality measures.
Why today’s “Value-Based Care” models have doubled down, turning the physical into a surveillance machine for insurance risk-adjustment and financial calculations.
Chapter Markers
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - The Data on the Annual Physical Exam
02:18 - Historical Origins of the Annual Physical
03:34 - Life Insurance and Annual Physicals
06:01 - Employers Embrace Annual Physicals
06:33 - The Perfect Storm
07:16 - Relationships to Data Collection
08:22 - Returning to Actuarial Roots
10:06 - Why Does the Annual Exam Persist?
11:44 - Annual Physical in Other Countries
14:01 - Outro
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