Q. What is the objective of preventive health screenings?
A. Preventive health screenings are an affordable and effective way to identify hidden disease risk. For many people, getting screened is the first step in early intervention to prevent potential health events later in their lives. It helps people understand their risks so that they can consult with their doctor and take the right steps towards a healthier future.

Q. Are the screenings given by Life Line Screening 100% accurate?
A. Life Line Screening is aware of the concerns surrounding the quality of preventive public health screenings, and has taken every measure to ensure our screenings are of the highest quality. No test is 100% accurate, but our results are comparable to those you would receive in an accredited hospital vascular lab.

Life Line Screening uses state-of-the-art ultrasound technology and highly skilled sonographers to perform our screenings. As part of our strict quality control, all results are then reviewed by board-certified physicians to ensure accuracy. Written reports are mailed to the participants within 21 days, and they are encouraged to share the reports with their physicians.

We are also engaged in ongoing research with first-tier medical institutions to help advance the understanding of the causes of vascular disease and to further our public health initiatives.

Q. I have a doctor. Why do I need Life Line Screening?
A. Your doctor is our partner. Doctors often recommend screenings, as they recognize the screenings can be an important complement to the care of a physician. We help you get the information you and your physician need to work toward improving your health.

Q. Can my physician do this type of preventive health screening as part of my routine physical?
A. No. There is a gap in the healthcare system: If you are asymptomatic, meaning you are not yet sick and feel well, but have risk factors such as age, family history of disease or certain health conditions, our nation’s system is not well designed to take preventive steps towards your good health. We are quite good at treating illness once symptoms occur; but for many diseases like stroke, the first symptom is a stroke. Four out of five stroke victims have no apparent symptoms or warning signs.

Likewise, osteoporosis is painless in early stages and most people are completely unaware of the condition until a fracture occurs. That’s why we offer simple, low-cost screenings to help you identify a problem as early as possible. Once you have our screenings, your doctor can use our results to determine next steps, including ordering insurance-covered diagnostic testing and treatment if necessary.

Q. Where does Life Line Screening conduct screenings?
A. We have more than 80 ultrasound teams that provide local screenings in communities across all 48 contiguous US states. We also provide screenings in the United Kingdom (link). We use rooms in facilities such as places of worship, senior centers, civic buildings, community centers, and corporations.

Q. Is Life Line Screening a for-profit or not-for-profit organization?
A. We are for-profit, just like your doctor or dentist. Our goal is to make preventive health care affordable and available to people everywhere.

Q. Does Medicare or insurance cover professional health screenings?
A. Insurance coverage varies from policy to policy. We will provide you with a detailed receipt that can be submitted to your insurance company to determine coverage. You should also make a copy of your results to send along with the receipt.

Medicare and health insurance generally do not allow for coverage of our screenings. Medicare currently covers a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening at their “Welcome to Medicare” physical, for men only, at age 65, if they have a history of smoking. Please check with your doctor to see if you are eligible for this test.

Q. How often should I have these general health screenings?
A. This is a personal decision based on your risk factors and previous screening results. Many of our customers incorporate yearly screenings into their preventive healthcare regimen to complement their regular physicals.

Q. How long do the screenings take?
A. A typical screening takes several minutes to complete some paperwork and about 1 hour to conduct the screenings, depending on the number of tests, the level of disease, your vascular anatomy, and your body type. Accuracy and quality output are essential to us, so we make every effort to balance that with respect for your schedule.

Q. I work during the day. Can I schedule a screening later in the day?
A. We try to accommodate people’s work schedules with check-in times that are early in the day or during lunch. We also often offer later weekday screenings as well as some screenings on Saturdays.

Q. When will I receive my health screening results?
A. Your results will be mailed within 21 days. However, if we find a condition that requires immediate attention, we will notify you on the day of your screening. If you take a finger-stick blood screening, those results will be available in 10 minutes.

Q. Why does it take up to 21 days to get the results?
A. Your results will be reviewed by our board-certified physicians, and then they will be sent on for processing and mailing. However, if we find a condition that requires immediate attention, we will notify you on the day of your screening.*

Q. Who reviews the health screening results?
A. All screening results are reviewed by board-certified physicians who are licensed in your state. Our team of doctors includes vascular surgeons, cardiologists, and radiologists.

Q. At what age should I be screened?
A. This is a personal decision, based on your risk factors and family history. For example, the National Stroke Association states that your risk of stroke increases with age and doubles every decade after age 55. We generally recommend vascular screening beginning at age 50; however, if you have diabetes, or a family history of stroke, heart disease, or AAA, talk to your doctor about getting screened after age 40.

Q. Will I receive the results of my general health screenings or will they be given directly to my doctor?
A. Your screening results will be reviewed one of our board-certified physicians. Within 21 days of your appointment, you will receive a detailed report of your results in the mail. If we recommend you have further evaluation, we will include printed images of your carotid artery, AAA and atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) screening results to share with your doctor.

Q. How long has Life Line Screening offered these services?
A. Life Line Screening has been in operation since 1993 and provides services throughout the contiguous United States with expansion abroad. Since inception, we have screened over 6 million people, and perform approximately 1 million screenings annually at over 20,000 events nationwide.

Q. What type of equipment is used?
A. For all of our screenings, we use the same state-of-the-art technologies that are standard in hospitals across the country. We are continually evaluating new equipment to ensure that our equipment is the most advanced.

Q. What kind of training have your ultrasound technologists received?
A. Our highly skilled, experienced sonographers and medical technologists have all completed formal medical and ultrasound programs, clinical rotations, and specialized training. We employ over 700 highly trained healthcare professionals, more than any other screening company in the United States.

Q. How can you assure the consistency and reliability of your machines?
A. All machines perform a self-diagnostic check and continually recalibrate throughout the day. They also undergo regular maintenance check-ups.

Q. Can I have the health screenings if I have a pacemaker?
A. Yes. A pacemaker will not interfere with the screenings.

Q. Why are your screenings shorter than those performed in hospitals?
A. Our aim is to identify the presence of an unrecognized health problem and to encourage those with significant disease to follow up with their personal physician for a more detailed evaluation. We do this by offering simple, accurate, affordable screenings that detect whether or not the more costly comprehensive exam is necessary.

Q. How can your company afford to do these professional health screenings for such a low cost?
A. By working in partnership with local institutions such as places of worship, YMCAs and other community organizations that act as our host sites, we do not have to maintain a brick-and-mortar building in every community we serve, which cuts down on our cost. We are the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings, we also do a large volume of screenings, so the cost of equipment and staff is spread across a large number of people.

Q. I am concerned about privacy. How private is the screening area?
A. We take your privacy seriously, which is why we always use privacy screens to separate the screening area from the waiting area. You need not remove any clothing for our screenings other than your shoes and socks.

Q. Can I eat or drink anything before these screenings?
A. It depends on which screening you are having. Once you register for a screening, you will receive specific instructions. It is important for you to follow those directions in order to get the most accurate results. You can also find the instructions for all our different screenings listed here.

Q. Why should I have these screenings done if I have no symptoms?
A. Many people are at risk for diseases such as stroke and heart disease but experience no symptoms. Early detection and control can prevent major consequences down the road.

Q. Is Life Line Screening insured?
A. Yes. Life Line Screening is also a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Wellness Council of Ohio.

Q. How accurate are your health screenings?
A. By adhering to strict protocols, hiring highly qualified staff, and using state-of-the-art equipment, we are dedicated to providing you with the most accurate results. In fact, in clinical studies Life Line Screening results were shown to be comparable to those you would receive in accredited vascular labs.

Q. Will I get my screening pictures back?
A. You will receive printed images of your screenings only if we are recommending that you see your physician for further evaluation. However, you will always receive a detailed written report.

Q. Are you affiliated with any hospital?
A. We are a non-referral vascular screening service. We partner with over 370 local hospitals across the country, but your medical information is kept private. All information and preventive health screening results are sent directly back to you to share with your own physician.

Q. Why don't your results give more detailed information?
A. Our screenings are designed to screen for problems, not to measure the severity of a condition. If our screenings alert you of a problem, you will need to consult with your physician about having more comprehensive testing.

Q. What happens when a problem is identified?
A. If your results are not normal, you will receive a detailed report of the findings along with instructions to see your physician for further evaluation.


*Please note that Texas residents will not receive critical results until doctor reviews.