Prevention is always less expensive than cure. But if you need treatment and you have insurance, you don't have to take "no" for an answer.
Americans hold strong and mostly negative opinions of their prospects for national health care reform. If people from the government aren't going to come and help, what can individuals do to improve their health regardless?
The most important thing anyone can do as the foundation of personal healthcare reform is very simple: Don't wait for your doctor to tell you that you need treatment.
When people can't afford health insurance and can't afford to pay the $200 to $1000 a quarterly checkup can cost, they tend to put off trips to the doctor until they become absolutely necessary. In the United States today, some people neglect taking care of their cholesterol and high blood pressure until they have a heart attack. They neglect taking care of their blood sugar levels until they suddenly go blind and have to be admitted to the ER for emergency rehydration.
While it is entirely understandable that people don't want to shell out the equivalent of the rent or mortgage payment every three months, or, if you are between the ages of 55 and 65, the equivalent of the rent or mortgage payment every month for health care, in the long run it's a lot more affordable to take care of warning signs before they become full-blown symptoms. Prevention is always better than treatment. Here are some low-cost and no-cost actions you can take to prevent medical catastrophes.
Smoking cessation, however, is the most important thing anyone can do for long-term good health.
If you are fortunate enough to have health insurance, make the most of it. This does not mean you should get every test and schedule every doctor's visit and take every medication for which your plan will pay. Too much medicine is not good for your basic health. But don't suffer financially when you don't have to. Here are seven tips for getting the most out of your health insurance.
1. If you have been out of insurance for six months or more and you have a chronic health condition or have been turned down for health insurance at regular rates, look into applying to your state's federally funded health insurance risk pools. Operating on premiums paid by members, many plans offer premiums of $150 to $550 a month that offer reimbursement programs so that you don't have to pay more than $12,500 per year out of pocket. That may sound like a lot to pay out of pocket, but a single visit to the ER can easily cost $12,500 or more.
2. If your health insurance policy has a high ($2000 to $10,000) annual deductible, look into a health savings account. You'll be able to pay out of pocket costs from a tax-deductible savings account, and save the amount of tax you would have paid if the money you put into your account was taxed at the highest amount.
3. Make a habit of getting your prescriptions by mail. Many plans have a $5 to $35 co-payment for 30-day supply of medication you pick up at the drugstore, but will give you a 90-day supply of the same drug from a mail order fulfillment center for the same price.
4. Be sure you avail yourself of free preventive care. State risk pool insurance plans and insurance plans for government employees offer four doctor's visits per year for prevention that cost as little as $35 or sometimes have no co-payment at all.
5. Check the fine print before you travel. Many health insurance plans have different rates of reimbursement for in-network and out-of-network care. Know which providers are in-network when you travel in the United States, and buy health insurance for travelers when you travel outside the United States. In some countries, you will not be given treatment until the doctor or hospital is assured of payment. Coverage for emergency repatriation from a foreign country to the United States is available for just a few dollars if you plan ahead—or for $50,000 or more if you fail to buy the policy.
6. Keep good records. You insurance plan may "forget" to count some items you paid against your deductibles.
7. If your insurer denies a treatment you feel is necessary, don't take "no" for an answer. Get your doctor to make your case for you. Make sure your insurance company has copies of the latest studies. If it is a matter of life or death, enlist you local newspaper or television station to make your case public. Be polite, but persistent. Chances are the person that grants your claim will be taking a professional risk to help you out, so be sure to express your appreciation once you are approved for the treatment you need.
The most important thing anyone can do as the foundation of personal healthcare reform is very simple: Don't wait for your doctor to tell you that you need treatment.
When people can't afford health insurance and can't afford to pay the $200 to $1000 a quarterly checkup can cost, they tend to put off trips to the doctor until they become absolutely necessary. In the United States today, some people neglect taking care of their cholesterol and high blood pressure until they have a heart attack. They neglect taking care of their blood sugar levels until they suddenly go blind and have to be admitted to the ER for emergency rehydration.
While it is entirely understandable that people don't want to shell out the equivalent of the rent or mortgage payment every three months, or, if you are between the ages of 55 and 65, the equivalent of the rent or mortgage payment every month for health care, in the long run it's a lot more affordable to take care of warning signs before they become full-blown symptoms. Prevention is always better than treatment. Here are some low-cost and no-cost actions you can take to prevent medical catastrophes.
Take care of high blood pressure.
Pharmacies usually have blood pressure meters you can use for free and many medications are available for just $4 a month even if you don't have insurance. Keeping blood pressure in control can save future catastrophic expense of heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and kidney disease.See your dentist for cleanings at least every year.
Inflammation generated by the germs that cause gingivitis can also cause heart disease. Getting your teeth cleaned is an easy way to help protect your heart health.Get your blood sugar checked after a meal, not just when you are fasting.
During the early stages of type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still has the ability to get blood sugar levels back down to normal overnight but not after meals. High blood sugar levels 2 hours after eating are an important early warning signal of diabetes. If the provider of free blood sugar testing gives hassles you about having eaten, just don't tell them!Treat heartburn by eating smaller meals rather than by taking calcium- and aluminum-based antacids.
You'll absorb more of the minerals from your food that are needed by your bones.Stop smoking.
It won't be easy. You may have to try several times. But when you finally quit smoking you may have enough money left over for health insurance and even a little discretionary spending.Don't reach for a pill every time you feel a symptom.
That also applies to nutritional supplements! Make sure you get all the nutrients you need even if you feel well. But make a practice of preventing and solving health problems by what you do, not what you take. This means washing your hands more often to prevent colds and flu, wearing sunglasses to prevent eye problems, using sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, and many other commonsense habits of good health.Smoking cessation, however, is the most important thing anyone can do for long-term good health.
Seven Secrets for Getting the Most Out of Your Health Insurance
If you are fortunate enough to have health insurance, make the most of it. This does not mean you should get every test and schedule every doctor's visit and take every medication for which your plan will pay. Too much medicine is not good for your basic health. But don't suffer financially when you don't have to. Here are seven tips for getting the most out of your health insurance.
1. If you have been out of insurance for six months or more and you have a chronic health condition or have been turned down for health insurance at regular rates, look into applying to your state's federally funded health insurance risk pools. Operating on premiums paid by members, many plans offer premiums of $150 to $550 a month that offer reimbursement programs so that you don't have to pay more than $12,500 per year out of pocket. That may sound like a lot to pay out of pocket, but a single visit to the ER can easily cost $12,500 or more.
2. If your health insurance policy has a high ($2000 to $10,000) annual deductible, look into a health savings account. You'll be able to pay out of pocket costs from a tax-deductible savings account, and save the amount of tax you would have paid if the money you put into your account was taxed at the highest amount.
3. Make a habit of getting your prescriptions by mail. Many plans have a $5 to $35 co-payment for 30-day supply of medication you pick up at the drugstore, but will give you a 90-day supply of the same drug from a mail order fulfillment center for the same price.
4. Be sure you avail yourself of free preventive care. State risk pool insurance plans and insurance plans for government employees offer four doctor's visits per year for prevention that cost as little as $35 or sometimes have no co-payment at all.
Read more: Health Insurance for Type I Diabetes
5. Check the fine print before you travel. Many health insurance plans have different rates of reimbursement for in-network and out-of-network care. Know which providers are in-network when you travel in the United States, and buy health insurance for travelers when you travel outside the United States. In some countries, you will not be given treatment until the doctor or hospital is assured of payment. Coverage for emergency repatriation from a foreign country to the United States is available for just a few dollars if you plan ahead—or for $50,000 or more if you fail to buy the policy.
6. Keep good records. You insurance plan may "forget" to count some items you paid against your deductibles.
7. If your insurer denies a treatment you feel is necessary, don't take "no" for an answer. Get your doctor to make your case for you. Make sure your insurance company has copies of the latest studies. If it is a matter of life or death, enlist you local newspaper or television station to make your case public. Be polite, but persistent. Chances are the person that grants your claim will be taking a professional risk to help you out, so be sure to express your appreciation once you are approved for the treatment you need.
- Fisher ES, McClellan MB, Safran DG. Building the path to affordable care. N Engl J Med. 2011 Dec 29
- 365(26):2445-7. No abstract available.
- Photo courtesy of seiuhealthcare775nw on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/seiuhealthcare775nw/3584341879
- Photo courtesy of emagineart on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/emagineart/4655345533
Your thoughts on this