ODESSA, Texas - Primary care providers across the Permian Basin are urging residents to schedule annual checkups, warning that skipped preventive visits can lead to missed screenings, delayed diagnoses and higher medical bills.

Doctors say primary care visits don't just address illnesses - they're designed to catch problems early and manage chronic conditions before they become emergencies.

But providers report several barriers keep patients from getting through the door."Some people don't have insurance, there are high out-of-pocket costs or high deductibles to name a few financial barriers," said Dr. Genevieve Okafor, a family medicine physician at Medical Center Hospital's Family Medicine Clinic.