No matter what side Obamacare debate you’re sitting on there’s one thing that’s true for all Americans, health care costs are on the rise. Even if you’ve got a great job, with great benefits, there’s every chance that both your month health care bill, and deductibles for doctor and emergency room visits, have gone up considerably.
While there isn’t much that most of us can do about can do about those skyrocketing premiums, we can take a few steps to avoid those costly visits to the doctor. Unless you’re alright with paying $30-$50 for a few minutes of your doctor (or more likely a physician’s assistant’s) time, here are a few ways you can save on your overall health care bill.
Commit to Fitness
Every year the American public spends an astonishing $550 billion treating, entirely preventable, obesity related ailments. This laundry list of problems includes high ticket health problems like diabetes 2 and heart disease.
While these problems are definitely treatable, they’re also very expensive. Diabetes 2 sufferers must keep plenty of insulin and other pricey prescriptions on hand at all times. These fat folks will also be seeing their doctor at least once a month. Between that $30 office co-pay and a $10-$15 prescription co-pay, warding off diabetes through regular exercise can save you almost $500 a year in co-pays alone.
If you’ve let your obesity endanger your heart, you’ll be setting yourself up for some potentially very expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays. Even if you’re well off, you definitely won’t want to pay that $1000 emergency room co-pay and 20% of your hospital bill. After all, hospitals are notorious for charging as much as $6 for a single aspirin. The less time you spend there, the better off you’ll be.
Healthy Eating
There’s no question that the biggest culprits in the obesity epidemic are Simply cutting out high calorie sodas out of your diet and adding a daily, 30-minute walk to your regular routine can help you stay ahead of these obesity-related ailments.
If you think that these simple fixes won’t add up to major health improvements, guess again. If you’re currently drinking a can of soda a day, simply cutting out that habit can help you lose 20 pounds a year, even if you do no other exercise.
Prescription Drug Alternatives
Western medicine is, as we’ve seen, pretty expensive and it’s not always the final word in staying healthy. That’s why plenty of Americans are using natural remedies and homeopathic medicines, instead of expensive prescriptions, to stay on top of their health.
For example, a lot of men are adding Saw Palmetto supplements to help keep ahead of creeping prostate problems. This natural remedy costs a fraction of the price of expensive prescription drugs and has been shown by legitimate studies to reduce prostate enlargement. To find even greater savings, many men buy their prescription drugs alternatives online from reliable retailers like The Online Drugstore.
The Final Word
High health costs aren’t going anywhere and if you think your local HMO is going to help you save money on them, you’re sorely mistaken. This is the time for healthcare consumers to take responsibility for driving down health costs by exercising and eating right.