Taking Charge Of Your Health and Wellbeing

Healthcare in America is undergoing a revolution. And I’m not just talking about the Affordable Care Act.

Change is happening throughout the healthcare system from the way doctors are compensated to the types of insurance plans offered by our employers. And these trends need to continue.

They are the only way we will prevent rising rates of chronic disease and obesity and consequently slow the amount of money we spend on health as a nation.

One of the most significant trends in healthcare over the last several years is the growing prevalence of high deductible health insurance. Employers are gradually being incented to move their employees onto these plans.

In fact, benefits consultant Towers Watson says 70% of large companies will now offer a high deductible plan and 20% said it would be the only option offered.

Why Should You Care?

Let’s start with a simple question. When it comes to health are you a patient or consumer?

High deductible plans are designed to put market dynamics to work in healthcare, making you the patient responsible for the first $5k – $7k in healthcare costs and insurance company picks up the tab thereafter.

This provides an incentive for you to find the best deal for your healthcare purchases. In other words, you will need to be a consumer in addition to a patient.

This is a major shift in the way healthcare decisions are made. You will now need to think about your health purchasing decisions the same way you think about purchasing a house or a car.

Only with healthcare patients don’t have access to pricing information the way we do for other purchasing decisions like buying a car with Kelly Blue Book or buying a house with the Multiple Listing Service (better known as MLS).

What can you do to prepare you and your family for the age of personal responsibility in health?

Preventative Health Is The Key

Keep your family healthy and your will protect them from many of the chronic diseases that result from poor lifestyle choices. This means move more, eat less. This site has many great recommendations for how to eat healthier and get more exercise.

Some of the more over-looked preventative health efforts include taking good care of your mouth, such as flossing and regular visits to the dentist, and understanding what preventative screening is available from your insurance company.

Preventative Services are now 100% covered, even under a high deductible plan, so take advantage of them.

Shop For Services

New companies like Castlight Health are popping up to help patients on high deductible plans become better consumers of healthcare. These services make it easy to compare prices for a procedure and pick the cheapest ones.

If your insurance company doesn’t offer a service like this, then do the work yourself. If you need an MRI, call several facilities and ask them how much it will cost.

At the end of the day, whether you are on a high deductible plan, a traditional plan or have no insurance, it’s important that you take greater control of your health.

Taking control means understanding what services are available to you, what impact they will have on your health and what they will cost you.

Get started today living a healthier lifestyle so you will be better positioned to thrive in this evolving healthcare landscape.

Getting Started Is Easy

Simply take advantage of preventative services now covered 100% by your insurance company under the affordable care act and start educating yourself on how to make smarter healthcare decisions by asking questions of your doctors and your insurance company.

Be forewarned, if you don’t start changing the way you manage your health now, these changes will be forced upon you when you are least prepared.