Got $1200 to invest? Here are some thoughts.
You can put it in a mutual fund and (hopefully) watch it grow.
You can put it in a CD.
You can buy lottery tickets.
Or you can make an investment in your future.
Five simple screening tests can detect things like early stage ovarian cancer, heart disease and abdominal aneurysms, but unless you're considered high risk, insurance probably won't pay for it.
Transvaginal Ultrasasound - $200 (skip this if you don't have a vagina).
"Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose, that's why there's been a real surge in tools for early detection which is what the transvaginal ultrasound is good for."
The Transvaginal Ultrasound cost $200. Doctors say it's just one of several tests worth paying for.
Expanded Cholesterol Testing - $100
At 28, Danny Luster didn't think he had to worry about heart disease, but he has a family history and he's a smoker. He took the advanced lipid test which showed his cholesterol was off the charts. Without taking cholesterol lowing medicine, he's at risk for having a major heart attack in his 30's
EBT Heart Scan - $300 - $500
"We have many cases of people coming in and they never had any problems with the heart and they come in with chest pains and they get a scan and they have a severe obstruction."
Spiral CT Scan - $300 - $500
This test is for smokers and former smokers over the age of 50. It can find lung cancer when it's as small as a grain of rice.
(Note: Survival rates for early detected lung cancer, about 80%. Most lung cancer is not discovered until stage 3 or 4 and the 5 year survival rate is less than 15%. Lung cancer kills more people each year than colon, breast & prostate cancer combined. Six out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer die in the first 12 months.)
Abdominal Aneurysm Scan - $350
About 7 percent of men over 60 have aneurysm disease, but few people realize they're have it or may be at risk.
So for $1200 you can take a chance on the lottery, or you can take a chance on living a long & healthy life.
Your choice.