Among preventive and primary care services available in community centers, which is typically the most expensive?

• A. Health Education
• B. Routine physical examinations
• C. Disease Management
• D. Running errands

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that resource use and ongoing coordination drive costs up in community-based care. Disease management for chronic conditions requires continuous, integrated care: regular follow-ups, medication management, lab tests, monitoring, and coordination among multiple providers or specialists. It may also involve patient education, home or telehealth visits, and sometimes hospital or urgent-care referrals when problems flare. All of these elements stack up over time, making disease management typically more expensive than other preventive or primary services.

In contrast, health education mainly involves educators delivering information to individuals or groups, which is relatively low-cost. Routine physical examinations consume clinician time and perform basic screenings, which are important but episodic, so they don’t accumulate as much expense as ongoing disease management. Running errands is mainly logistical support and generally represents the least costly service.