Executive Checkup: why do companies spend up to $2,000 each?

• Author: McKimmie, Kathy
• Position: Executive Health - Disease prevention

If you're not already sure, you'll know you've made it to the top tier of your organization when you're eligible for the executive physical.

Forget the 10-minute exam with your doc; that's for the masses. Your exam--provided outside the company's standard health-care plan--will likely last a half-day or more. You'll be poked and prodded, quizzed and examined, but between procedures you'll likely have access to a cushy place to take care of those business deals that can't wait until you get back to the office.

Why are companies spending big bucks--$500 to $2,000 each--for this pricey perk? Simple. You're worth it. Keeping top execs in fine form is a form of insurance, and it's a darn sight more attractive than using that key person insurance policy, which pays for the expensive down time if you become disabled or (gulp) die.

Dr. Michael Busk, associate professor of clinical medicine in Indiana University's department of medicine, also serves as medical and research director for the National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) in Indianapolis. "The two best ways to prevent disease," he says, "are No. 1, to do exercise or physical activity of 30 minutes walking a day, and No. 2, to never smoke cigarettes."

Unfortunately, not everyone Busk sees has heeded these maxims, so counseling is all part of the service at NIFS to get people on the wellness path after a thorough exam. The exam typically consists of thorough screenings for glaucoma, respiratory problems, body fat, blood in the stool, an EKG, complete blood work-up, a PSA test for men at age 40, treadmill tests for men at 40 and women at 50, and colonoscopies for both sexes at age 50.

The basic half-day exam is conducted at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology, and if a colonoscopy is ordered, that's done on a separate day at two other locations. Over the next few years, there will be a big expansion in the use of radiological scanning tests, says Busk, including CTs and MRIs. In April, the facility added an open-sided MRI, which can be used for heart scans. Soon, he expects scans to be good enough to pick up lung cancer. "It's the No. 1 cause of cancer death in America, by far. By the time you know you have it, it's too late."

CHECK YOUR CRP?

Busk also tests for C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood as a screen for heart disease in all his executive physical patients. "It's a marker for inflammation," he says, and when present it could indicate that plaque might break up in the blood...