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Would you like to save money on your health insurance?  

 

Now that I have your attention you must know that I’m not handing out free coupons or health insurance.  Instead I want to tell you about three amazing ways to reduce your health care expenditures.  Since 2000, health care expenditures have increased $7,400 per person or 14% (1).  These expenses include physician visits, hospital care, prescription drugs and nursing home care.  Here are three more mind blowing stats:

 

The economic cost of heart disease and stroke were estimated at $475,300,000,000 (1)

 

The medical cost of diabetes included: $27,000,000,000 diabetic care, $58,000,000,000 diabetic related conditions and  $38,000,000,000 in excess general medical costs (1)

 

Health care cost associated with obesity = $147,000,000,000 (1)

 

With the rising cost of health care and constant change or reform of healthcare the only true way to save yourself money is to take ownership of your own health.  Taking ownership of your own health consists of three areas:

 

1) Develop an exercise program that fits your schedule and works for you.

 

2) Develop healthy nutrition and dietary habits that you can follow for a lifetime.  These habits come from learning about yourself.

 

What cues you to over eat?  Do you ruin your waistline by going out to eat?

 

3) Make behavior and lifestyle changes that affect your wellness.

 

The emphasis this month has been on reducing stress and promoting relaxation.  Adopting a healthy outlook on fitness is also important for overall wellness.

 

Employers read on!

 

A study comparing the relationship of health care costs and ten modifiable risk factors concluded that there were higher short term health expenditures. (2)  The risk factors that had significantly higher health care costs were:

 

      • Depression
      • Stress
      • High blood pressure
      • Overweight/Obesity
      • Underweight
      • Tobacco use
      • High blood glucose levels

 

Approximately one third of corporate costs in medical claims, pharmacy claims, and time away from work could be defined as excess costs associated with excess health risks.  The highest risk participants were almost four times more likely to incur excess health risks. (3)

 

Twelve months of implementing a walking program for sedentary employees resulted in (4):

 

      • increases in job satisfaction
      • quality and quantity
      • and positive outlook
      • supervisors also reported greater interaction

 

Don’t bust your financial waistline instead you must take ownership of your own health. Employees and employers will also benefit by taking action in order to reduce your bottom line and not flat line!

 

Do you participate or does your company offer wellness programs or incentives?  We would love to hear about them!

 

References
1) Rising Health Care Costs are Unsustainable. October 23, 2013.  Retrieved on April 24, 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/reasons/rising.html
2) Goetzel, RZ et al. (1998). The relationship between modifiable health risks and health care expenditures. An analysis of the multi-employer HERO health risk and cost database. J Occup Environ Med. 1998 Oct;40(10):843-54.
3) Yen, L et al. (2006).  Financial costs due to excess health risks among active employees of a utility company. J Occup Environ Med. 2006 Sep;48(9):896-905.
4) Ben-Ner, A. et al. “Treadmill Workstations: The Effects of Walking while Working on Physical Activity and Work Performance.” PLoS ONE 9.2 (2014): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

 

Brent

Brent

President, Personal Training Manager at Body By Brent LLC
Brent
Brent
Brent