What do I have to pay to get started?

The easy answer is nothing! We have a considerable amount of health-related information that's available to everyone. You can also to sign up to receive our free newsletters. Once you’re ready to get more involved we’re here to help. Membership, which we keep as inexpensive as possible, include access to unique wellness tools. You can learn more here.

Will health insurance pay for these services?

For years my colleague specialists in preventive medicine have said, “Everyone wants prevention but no one wants to pay for it!” Well, fortunately, this is beginning to change and some insurance companies and even Medicare are doing more to cover prevention services including health risk assessments. Some insurance plans even include group wellness programs for their members in order to reduce their overall costs. You can contact your insurance provider for more information about coverage.

Who’s behind MyHealthyPotential.com?

The site has been developed by Thomas R. Bender, M.D., MPH, FACPM, a specialist in Preventive Medicine, in order to make this useful prevention strategy available to individuals, lots of them, one person at a time! You can learn more on the About page and under our Video tab showing Backstory Videos.

How does the program work?

MyHealthPotential.com is a strategy formalized into a useable system. Each component of the program builds on the one before it.

We offer a free subscription to the newsletter. In it you’ll get links to up-to-date information and blog posts. It’s the first step in getting the support you want in order to consider your personal risks and make real changes to better your health. You can subscribe here using the Form in the footer.

Paid membership includes access to much more than simply information. It includes access to our risk calculators. With the help of your coach you will be assessing your current health status by answering a series of questions about your and your family’s health history. It also includes ongoing access to our coaching portal with records storage and a graphical tracker so you can monitor things like your blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, exercise over time, and so much more.

Our paid memberships have numerous features that provide important laboratory services, equipment purchases, and health coaching. It’s a one-stop site! To learn more about membership options, click here.

How do I access my coaching portal and tracker?

While it is located on its own separate portal, it is easy to use. Here is a link to a "How To" article about that.

How do I obtain my laboratory tests?

Your lab tests are gathered at a facility near to you. In 49 States we use Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), and in Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan we use Diagnostic Services, Inc. (DLS) .Here is a link to the lab locator for LabCorp. Here is a link to lab locations for DLS.  Here is a link to a "How To" article about obtaining your laboratory tests and results. If you have very recent lab results (collected within the past several months), you may use them by inserting those specific results into your coaching portal. If you are working on a goal to reduce your cholesterol, other lipids, or glucose, you may repeat our lab tests frequently.

What do my cholesterol test results mean?

The results of your cholesterol testing and, in fact, your entire lipid panel, are critical in evaluating your current risks of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This condition leads to things like heart attack, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, and so on. You can find much more information on interpreting your results here.

Why should I be interested in my blood pressure, and how can I get it measured and follow it?

You can have your blood pressure measured in your doctor’s office, of course, but there are also often opportunities at fire stations, health fairs, and drug stores. It’s usually best, however, to have your own equipment to use at home because this helps you track results over time. Members can have this sent to them (along with other useful monitoring equipment, like a body fat analyzer) when they order it from our site. Read more about interpreting your blood pressure readings here. Learn about our membership options here.

Will you bill my health insurance for these services?

No. Unfortunately, we are unable to file health insurance claims. While our services may be covered by your policy, you will need to discuss the details and how to file for reimbursement with your insurance administrator. We attempt to keep costs so low that most people without health insurance find them affordable and those with it feel it’s not worth the bother to seek reimbursement.

Can I use my tax exempt health account to pay for these services?

Section 105 of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations allows for reimbursement of medical expenses under an employer-sponsored health plan. There are various types of Section 105 plans including: Health Reimbursement Arrangements, Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans, Accident and Health Plans, and more. As a general rule, medical care includes amounts paid for diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease. Costs in the areas of prevention of disease, laboratory fees, and medical information storage seem to be eligible to be paid from these accounts. If you’re interested in this option, be sure to discuss this with your plan administrator or your tax professional.

How do I know this is for me?

Are you worried about what your future health issues might be? Are you interested in, first, learning about your health, and then, working to lower your health risks? Has something made you concerned about your health risks, perhaps a massive heart attack in a close relative or friend? Then this is for you.

We give you useful tools to evaluate your personal risks, and your results lead to personalized guidance. We provide you with information that relates to your specific risk situation. Further, we connect you to experts who will answer your questions, help you set goals, and offer advice. If that sounds good to you, and you’re over age 18, then join us!

On the other hand, this isn’t for people with complicated health issues who think they might like to go it alone without the guidance of their health care provider. This doesn’t come close to eliminating the need for you to have access to a bricks and mortar hospital or outpatient clinic staffed with licensed health providers to direct your medical care. So please keep in mind that MyHealthyPotential.com isn’t meant to replace advice from your personal physician. When you’re dealing with pre-existing disease or conditions, we insist that obtaining appropriate medical care be your focus.

Sometimes in medical practice, we hear things like, “It’s not your job to tell me to change my lifestyle; it’s your job to make me well”. At MyHealthPotential.com, we support you in making positive changes to maintain wellness, but you’re the one who has to actually do the work. If you’re not up for that, this may not be the right fit for you.

What information do I need to complete my risk calculators?

At the very basic level, you will need to know your blood pressure, weight, height, waist measurement, blood test results (triglycerides and LDL/HDL cholesterol), cardiac (highly-sensitive) CRP level, fasting blood glucose, HgbA1c, and family medical history. You may still complete risk calculator questions without this information, but the calculation for your risk for disease and may be a lot less powerful or even inaccurate. All paid membership plans include the equipment bonuses and laboratory tests described on our site: Jumpstart coaching and training members, Rapid Laser-focused coaching members and of course Concierge members all receive precisely what's needed.  It is included in their member plans. Its nice to collect your biometric data for use in you risk calculators immediately upon joining, so that is usually our first step..

Is my personal information kept private?

Yes, your clinical information will be kept private and secure using industry HIPAA standards. It is encrypted and maintained by the Coaching Portal, from an industry leader in personalized, consumer directed health management tools, and the laboratory testing site. You may ask to read the Privacy Policy. The servers involved in gathering and maintaining your health data at the Coaching Portal and Laboratory Corporation of America meet the same privacy requirements hospitals, doctors, and other medical professionals are required to adhere too. At MyHealthyPotential.com your privacy is our top priority. We never sell email addresses.

What do my glucose test results mean?

You already know that diabetes is a significant illness and is increasing in prevalence in developed countries. You may not know that it is a strong independent risk factor for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), renal disease, and blindness. Be sure to find more information on this condition and what leads up to full-blown diabetes here.

What do my Hgb A1c test results mean?

This test, available only fairly recently, is very useful in learning about diabetes risks, and is quite an interesting test. You can find much more information on interpreting your results here.

How do I schedule a session with my health coach?

We have another How To presentation that covers much of what you need in order to move forward with a health coach. Health coaching adds enormous value to membership on this site!

I am interested but feel I need more information. Who can I contact?

You can reach Dr. Bender or the support staff by email at [email protected].