Health Economics Part 3

Budgeting for Health

There is no magic bullet, no miracle drug, no life-enhancing vitamin, no surgery or ‘as seen on tv’ before and after diet plan or exercise equipment that will make you healthy!

Get over it and take personal responsibility for your health.

Regaining and then maintaining health requires a commitment of your time, consistency of effort, and an investment of money. All are required.

Exercise can be free, or you can join a gym. In either case, it takes time and consistent effort. Buying local produce, shopping and preparing better foods requires money, effort and time.

There is no greater investment, or return on your investment, than your health.

I have outlined some of the major areas where you will have to invest your time, effort and money to improve and maximize your health.

Gym/health club memberships, yoga class or dancing lessons, etc.
Home workout equipment: floor mat, gym balls, free weights, treadmill, elliptical, etc.
Healthy foods: (more towards locally grown and organic, if possible)
fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, poultry
Essential daily supplements: Omega-3 fish oil, probiotics, vitamin D, B-complex:
Good supportive bed and pillow
Good shoes/sneakers, with custom orthotics
Good ergonomic computer desk-chair-keyboard and mouse, monitor risers, foot-rests, arm rests
Chiropractic adjustments and health coaching(1-2 times/month)
Massage
Occasional weekend get-aways, nights out, etc.
Ongoing education: classes, dvd’s, books, meditation/guided imagery cds, etc.

When you budget for, and invest in your health, the costs will be somewhat offset by eliminating wasteful spending on disease producing habits, by seriously limiting or cutting back on:

Processed foods and baked goods
Fast foods and snacks
Eating out as often
Sodas and juices
Cigarettes
Alcohol

In addition, you may be eligible for:

Insurance policy premium discounts for healthy people.
Refunds on gym memberships.
Discounted rates on life insurance policies.

The greatest $aving$ will come from not getting sick or developing serious diseases. Saving untold thousands, or even tens and hundreds of thousand of dollars in:

Doctor visits: deductibles and co-pays
Surgeries, diagnostic procedures, emergency transport and hospital stay co-pays.
Co-pays and/or percentages of costs for prescribed medications and medical devices
Cash outlays for over the counter medications
Risk rating fees tacked on to insurance costs for high risk/poor health
Lost time from work due to illness
Losing your job due to illness
Lost opportunities due to illness and untold wasted and lost time pursuing care.
Break-up of families due to emotional, financial and physical stressors associated with repeated or major illnesses.

If you think you don’t have the time, don’t want to make the effort and can’t afford to spend the money it takes to get and stay healthy, what makes you think you will have the time, will be able to make the effort, and will have the vast sums of money it costs to be sick?