EXECUTIVE PHYSICAL
WHAT AN EXECUTIVE PHYSICAL INCLUDES, AND WHAT IT COSTS
A plain answer before you spend anything
An executive physical is a self-pay health assessment, usually completed in a single day, that goes well past an insurance-covered annual visit. There is no standard definition, which is why prices vary so widely and why comparing programs is hard.
WHAT IS USUALLY INCLUDED
A long physician visit, typically 60 to 120 minutes
Advanced blood work, well beyond a basic panel
Body composition, often DEXA
Cardiorespiratory fitness testing, often VO₂ max
Cardiac and metabolic risk assessment
A written plan, and a follow-up visit to go through it
WHAT DIFFERS BETWEEN PROGRAMS
Whether cognitive testing is included, and how detailed it is
Whether imaging is offered, and which kind
Whether you see the same physician at follow-up
Whether results are scored and repeated each year, or handed over once as a PDF
Whether treatment is included or sold separately
WHAT IT COSTS
Nationally, executive physicals commonly run from roughly $1,500 at the simplest end to $15,000 or more for programs built around whole-body imaging and extensive testing. In Los Angeles the middle of that range sits higher than the national one.
At The Living Method, the CogSpan™ Physical starts at $1,495 for Tier 1 and rises with the depth of testing. Every tier produces the same ten domain scores, so this year can be compared with next year.
HOW IT DIFFERS FROM YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL
An insurance-covered annual physical is built to screen for established disease and keep your preventive care current. It is important and you should keep it. It is not built to find the slow patterns that develop for a decade or more before a diagnosis, which is what an executive physical organized around intrinsic capacity is for.
IS IT WORTH IT?
It is worth it if the result changes what you do. Ask any program three questions: what will you measure, what will you do with the findings, and when will you measure again? A one-time report that nobody acts on is expensive at any price.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does insurance cover an executive physical?
Generally no. Most are self-pay. Individual tests may be billable, and we provide a letter of medical necessity where appropriate.
Can I use HSA or FSA funds?
Usually yes. Check with your plan administrator first.
How long does it take?
One coordinated day of testing, then a results visit to go through the findings and the plan.
How often should I repeat it?
Every year. The value is in the trend, not the snapshot.
What makes the CogSpan Physical different?
Every test feeds ten domain scores that are repeated annually, so change is visible year to year rather than buried in a stack of results.
SEE WHAT YOU GET FOR THE PRICE
Compare the three CogSpan™ tiers side by side.
Price ranges quoted for other programs are general market figures, not quotes. Living Method pricing is current at the time of writing and may change.