With the rising cost of healthcare in this country (which has slowed, but not stopped due to recent reforms), most people are eager to find ways to reduce their healthcare costs. The good news is that many people can not only reduce their costs by finding healthcare bargains, but get better care along the way as well.
Eliminate Unnecessary Tests
Some studies suggest that the main factor in increasing healthcare costs is overutilization. Doctors, clinics, hospitals, and others that have invested in medical technologies want to get their money’s worth, so they recommend people to use them, even when they don’t need them. In fact, many people will actually be hurt by the drive to utilize these expensive technologies. For example, the use of CT scans for lower back pain are expected to result in 1200 cases of back cancer each year.
Other tests to avoid include EKGs for heart disease, unless you have clear signs, MRIs and CT scans for headaches, and bone density tests (unless you have high risk factors).
Healthy Living Can Be Cheaper
Did you know that you can live happier, healthier, and cheaper, too? It’s true. One great example is meatless meals. Adding just a couple meatless meals a week could save you $1,000 or more a year on grocery bills, while improving your cardiovascular health at the same time. If you’re a die-hard carnivore, it may take you a while to cast around for meatless recipes you like, but once you find them, you’ll be glad you did, both at the dinner table and at the register.
Finding healthcare bargains does not mean missing out on your needed medications.
Another great example is cutting out soda in favor of water. Not only will you be cutting hundreds of calories a day (or reducing your exposure to artificial sweeteners of dubious health status), but replacing one soda from the machine each day with tap water will save you hundreds of dollars a year. Don’t like tap water? Filling a water bottle from a two-gallon jug at home replaces a dollar-a-day habit with mere pennies.
Factor in Long-Term Costs
Hopefully, you’re familiar with the difference between cost and value. The same distinction is true in healthcare as in other areas of life. Low cost options are often a poor value in the long-term, so when you’re considering your options, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best value for your money.
A good example is dental implants. Although they may be more expensive initially, dental implants have a lower long-term cost than dental bridges. And that’s before you add in the benefits of easier care, retention of jawbone (which can atrophy under dental bridges, increasing the risk of fracture), and the fact that you don’t have to lose natural tooth material from adjacent teeth.
Ask Your Doctor about Effectiveness and Alternatives
Hopefully, you’re also familiar with the potential savings from asking for a generic version of your prescription drug. However, you should also remember to ask your doctor whether you really need this drug at all. In many cases, prescription drugs are of dubious value. Antibiotics for a sinus infection, for example, don’t have a lot of value and statins are overall considered a poor investment. Less than 1% of people taking statins will see any benefit from the medication, while most of them will see some type of side effect. It’s not at all uncommon for people to then be prescribed drugs to control the side effects of other drugs. If you can avoid taking drugs of any type for any condition, you may be better off, especially if there are alternatives that may be just as effective.
For many conditions, lifestyle changes can be just as effective as drug therapies, or sometimes there are one-time procedures that can give a better value. It’s important to talk to your doctor about the benefits of these alternatives.
Dr. Matthew B. Candelaria (PhD, U of Kansas 2006) is a freelance writer and futurist. He emphasizes that walking is the evolutionary development that set humanity apart from other primates, and encourages people to do what their body was designed for whenever possible.
