It’s no secret that healthcare costs are skyrocketing. The graph to the left comes from this column posted by the Wall Street Journal, which states “a surprising percentage of people with private insurance … simply do not have the resources to pay their deductibles and will either have to put off care or incur medical debt.”
Choose between putting off healthcare or racking up huge medical debts? That’s a scary thought. I have both family and friends who are in this position; my heart breaks for them. But what can we do?
Two words: stay healthy. The same column notes, “High deductibles may be okay for people who are generally healthy and have the resources to pay their cost sharing when they need to.” Easier said than done, though, right? Not if we take care of ourselves and make use of alternatives.
So what does a wellness lifestyle look like? I love the way this wellness pyramid structures it. My family has been trying to live according to these principals for a while now, and I just discovered some hard evidence that it’s helping us save money on healthcare. It’s tax season, so I’ve been going over figures and calculating deductions. In 2012, my family of 4 spent about $1000 out-of-pocket for doctor visits and prescriptions. In 2013, it was about $1200. I was shocked and amazed to discover that figure for 2014 was just $410. (Individual results will vary.) What changed? We started eating more fruits and veggies, beans, legumes, and quinoa, and less animal-based products. We also do our best to make sure that the animal products we do eat come from healthy, happy animals not treated with hormones or antibiotics. And we started using essential oils to reduce our exposure to toxins, boost our immune systems, and proactively take care of our health.
But we were (and are) still missing some of the building blocks of wellness. My family doesn’t get anywhere near enough exercise, and we still struggle to get enough rest and manage stress. We also deviate from a healthy diet much more frequently than we should (too busy to cook—pizza night again!). As we continue to work on these fundamentals, and learn more about how to use natural alternatives, I expect our healthcare costs will continue to decrease.
Stay healthy. It requires effort, but it’s easier than it sounds.
