The major reasons why healthcare insurance costs us so much currently is that medical procedures cost a lot and are probably over used. Doctors now routinely perform many costly operations that didn't even exist a generation ago. Our unactive lifestyles also play a role. We need expensive care more as our society becomes less healthy.
One way to reduce our expenses for health insurance would be to decrease the number of bypass operations and angioplasties that are performed. In the good old days of cheap medical insurance, these interventions were performed much less frequently.
Of course reducing the number of procedures without reducing the medical necessity for those medical interventions would simply result in lives being shortened. The unwanted side effect of lowering expenses is often lowering effectiveness.
A tremendous percentage of medical expenses are generated in the last years or even months of life. In an attempt to extend life we often will spare no expense.
From a purely financial standpoint, extending the tax-paying life of a forty year old helps our country more than extending the life of an eighty year old. Chances are the forty year old is working and paying taxes. If he or she were to die she or he would stop paying income taxes. If she or he were to become disabled they would not only stop contributing to our government's coffers, but might also start getting money from the government in the form of Social Security benefits. Extending the life of a retired American who is no longer paying earning an income or taxes and who is currently being paid Social Security benefits has the reverse effect
Although we shouldn't make all of our decisions based on money, we should at least be aware of the importance of helping today's tax-paying workers continue to be tax-paying workers puts more money in our pockets that we can use for other things. Those other things can include extending the life of our eighty-year-old citizens.
Unless you are a legislator, there is probably not a lot that you can do to change what hospital and doctor insurance costs for everyone else. However, there may be a lot you can do to keep expenses down for yourself and your family.
Do what you can to stay in good physical shape. Being active and eating good foods in the right amounts will do several things for your insurance and other medical care costs.
If you are healthier you will use your health care insurance less. This means that you will have fewer co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses to pay. You will qualify for better rates if you need to purchase private or individual healthcare insurance.
Shop around for health care insurance. Look at not only different medical insurance companies, but different places to get insurance from. If you are eligible for COBRA, for example don't just look at COBRA. Consider private medical insurance as well.
Medical insurance is expensive for several reasons. Many of the reasons that it is so costly are beyond our control. However, we can take the time to research the health insurance options available to us and do what we can to stay fit and thereby lower expenses for ourselves and our families.
One way to reduce our expenses for health insurance would be to decrease the number of bypass operations and angioplasties that are performed. In the good old days of cheap medical insurance, these interventions were performed much less frequently.
Of course reducing the number of procedures without reducing the medical necessity for those medical interventions would simply result in lives being shortened. The unwanted side effect of lowering expenses is often lowering effectiveness.
A tremendous percentage of medical expenses are generated in the last years or even months of life. In an attempt to extend life we often will spare no expense.
From a purely financial standpoint, extending the tax-paying life of a forty year old helps our country more than extending the life of an eighty year old. Chances are the forty year old is working and paying taxes. If he or she were to die she or he would stop paying income taxes. If she or he were to become disabled they would not only stop contributing to our government's coffers, but might also start getting money from the government in the form of Social Security benefits. Extending the life of a retired American who is no longer paying earning an income or taxes and who is currently being paid Social Security benefits has the reverse effect
Although we shouldn't make all of our decisions based on money, we should at least be aware of the importance of helping today's tax-paying workers continue to be tax-paying workers puts more money in our pockets that we can use for other things. Those other things can include extending the life of our eighty-year-old citizens.
Unless you are a legislator, there is probably not a lot that you can do to change what hospital and doctor insurance costs for everyone else. However, there may be a lot you can do to keep expenses down for yourself and your family.
Do what you can to stay in good physical shape. Being active and eating good foods in the right amounts will do several things for your insurance and other medical care costs.
If you are healthier you will use your health care insurance less. This means that you will have fewer co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses to pay. You will qualify for better rates if you need to purchase private or individual healthcare insurance.
Shop around for health care insurance. Look at not only different medical insurance companies, but different places to get insurance from. If you are eligible for COBRA, for example don't just look at COBRA. Consider private medical insurance as well.
Medical insurance is expensive for several reasons. Many of the reasons that it is so costly are beyond our control. However, we can take the time to research the health insurance options available to us and do what we can to stay fit and thereby lower expenses for ourselves and our families.
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