Center for Healthy Living offering back-to-school sports physicals, immunizations

The Center for Healthy Living is available for medical back-to-school needs, including sports physicals and immunizations.

Sports physicals continue to be available for $25 for dependents covered on a Purdue medical plan. Although sports physicals are not covered under the Purdue medical plans, faculty and staff can use their PayFlex debit cards to pay for the sports physical from their health savings account (HSA) or health care flexible spending account (FSA).

Call 494-0111 to make an appointment or schedule via the patient portal. Be sure to take the required IHSAA form to the appointment. If the sports physical will be the child's first visit to the center, it is recommended to fill out the patient intake form in advance and bring it to the appointment to help save time.

Also, back-to-school time is a great time to think about childhood immunizations. Immunizations are considered preventive care if included as part of a well-child check and are at no charge for those covered on any Purdue medical plan.

For patient visits not considered a well-child check, the visit is billed as an office visit at either $10 for dependents covered on the Purdue Health Plan and J-1 Visa Plan or $40 for those covered on Purdue Health Plan Plus HSA 1 and Purdue Health Plan Plus HSA 2.

"School-age children entering kindergarten, sixth grade and 12th grade all have mandatory shots that need to be given," says Carolyn Cooper, medical director at the Center for Healthy Living. "It's very important to immunize children; it can prevent many devastating diseases and help keep entire populations safe."

According to Cooper, even though it may seem that some of the diseases no longer exist, that's not the case. Just because they're not seen very often doesn't completely eliminate the risk.

"It's not that the diseases don't exist. It's that we've done a good of a job immunizing the population," Cooper says. "My advice is to immunize your children today. A false sense of security that they won't get these diseases could end up placing your children in a life-threatening situation."

For more information on services offered at the Center for Healthy Living, visit the center online.

The center is open 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Lab hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For medical consultation after hours or on weekends, contact the Anthem NurseLine at 888-279-5449 for assistance.