What Dr. Mike Actually Recommends for Preventive Health

Dr. Mike Varshavski — the family medicine physician with 19 million YouTube subscribers — doesn't spend much time talking about hydrogen water or genetic methylation. He talks about the unglamorous stuff that actually saves lives: getting your annual physical, having your blood checked, seeing a dentist twice a year, not ignoring a weird mole.

It's not as exciting as biohacking protocols. But the evidence says it works, and most people aren't doing it.

Here's his standard preventive care checklist — and what each piece costs in Austin without insurance.

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#1: Annual Physical Exam

What it is: A head-to-toe exam with your primary care doctor — blood pressure, heart and lung sounds, abdominal exam, review of your health history, catch anything new. The baseline visit that catches things before they become serious.

What Dr. Mike says: He's filmed entire videos pushing back on "I feel fine, I don't need a checkup." Most of the conditions that kill people — hypertension, elevated cholesterol, early-stage diabetes — have no noticeable symptoms for years. The physical is how you find them.

In Austin, an annual physical runs $75–$175 at cash-pay clinics.

• People's Community Clinic: $40–$75 on sliding scale
• Euphora Health: Included in monthly membership ($85–$99/month)
• Texas Direct Medical Care: Included in membership
• Standard cash-pay clinic: $100–$175

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#2: Basic Bloodwork Panel

What it is: The standard labs that should accompany every annual physical — CBC, comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid panel. These three tests together tell you a lot: kidney and liver function, blood counts, cholesterol levels, glucose.

What Dr. Mike says: He's consistent that your doctor should be ordering this every year, or more often if you have risk factors. He's also clear that most people don't need exotic tests — they just need the basics run regularly.

In Austin, the full basic panel runs $15–$60 at cash-pay labs.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): $5–$49
• Lipid Panel (Cholesterol): $7–$49
• Hemoglobin A1C: $8–$49 (add this if you're 45+ or have risk factors)

LaboratoryAssist consistently has the lowest prices in Austin: CBC $5, metabolic panel $6, lipid panel $7. A full basic panel including A1C: under $30.

Compare bloodwork prices in Austin →

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#3: Mental Health Check-In

What it is: A structured conversation with a therapist, counselor, or psychiatrist — at minimum once a year, more if you're dealing with active stress, anxiety, depression, or life transitions.

What Dr. Mike says: He's been one of the more vocal physicians on YouTube about mental health being part of physical health, not separate from it. He's also talked publicly about his own experience with therapy. The stigma argument is outdated, and he doesn't indulge it.

In Austin, therapy runs $30–$200 per session cash-pay, depending on the provider and format.

• Open Path Collective: $30–$80 per session — one of the best values in Austin for licensed therapists
• Thriveworks Austin: $99–$150 per session
• Euphora Health: Mental health counseling for $67 — included in their DPC model

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#4: Dental Cleaning + Exam

What it is: Professional cleaning, X-rays, and an exam from a dentist — twice a year. The cleaning removes tartar buildup that brushing can't touch. The exam catches cavities, gum disease, and occasionally early signs of oral cancer.

What Dr. Mike says: Oral health is genuinely connected to systemic health — gum disease has associations with cardiovascular disease that aren't just correlation. He pushes back on people who skip dental care because they "feel fine."

In Austin, a cash-pay cleaning + exam runs $75–$200.

• Affordable Dentistry of Austin: Cleaning from $69
• Celebrate Dental: Transparent pricing, discount plans available
• X-rays are typically extra — ask upfront what's included

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#5: Skin Cancer Screening

What it is: A full-body skin exam by a dermatologist — looking for suspicious moles, new growths, or changes in existing spots. Melanoma is one of the more treatable cancers when caught early and one of the deadlier ones when it isn't.

What Dr. Mike says: He's done multiple videos on this specifically. The ABCDE rule (asymmetry, border, color, diameter, evolution) is something he teaches but also something he's clear that trained eyes catch things patients miss on self-exam.

In Austin, a skin cancer screening runs $100–$200 at dermatology clinics.

Some dermatology practices in Austin offer cash-pay screening visits specifically for uninsured patients. If you have specific concerning spots, a focused lesion exam can run $75–$150.

Search dermatology + skin cancer screening in Austin →

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Do It in Austin

Dr. Mike's protocol is the most accessible thing on this list — no exotic tests, no expensive supplements, no specialized equipment. It's an annual physical, basic bloodwork, a dental cleaning, a therapy session, and a skin check. Total annual spend, cash-pay in Austin: $300–$700 for all five.

That's probably less than most people spend on supplements per year — and dramatically more impactful.

• Search annual physical providers →
• Compare bloodwork prices →
• Browse dental providers →
• Find affordable therapy in Austin →
• Search dermatology providers →