Healthy Living saves money on health insurance

Many people complain about the cost of health care because it has increased so dramatically in the last 10 years with no signs of the increase slowing down. However part of the problem is the lack of personal responsibility within the health care system. When prospects apply for health insurance, their entire health history is evaluated before determining the final rate quote for the individual. If you smoke, are overweight, or have other health problems, you will pay more for insurance than those who are healthier.

Stopping smoking is the easiest way to reduce your health care costs. If an otherwise completely healthy person applies for health insurance yet they smoke, they can expect to pay 30% more for the insurance than a non-smoker. So in addition to paying all the state and federal taxes on cigarettes, smokers have to pay an additional 30% in insurance premium dollars just for the privilege of smoking. Stopping smoking will save you at least 30% in health care dollars, and much more in the future from other smoking related illnesses.

Another issue that causes rates to increase (sometimes even declined coverage) is an individual's weight. Insurance companies do not want people to be too thin or too heavy. A proper balanced diet with an exercise routine will help you maintain the appropriate body weight. You don't have to exercise much, just 20 minutes a day 3 times a week will cause insurance companies consider you to have an active and healthy lifestyle. Healthy diet will also help your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Part of the reason health care costs have gone up is that Americans want a pill to fix everything. Instead of eating healthy to keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check, people want to eat how they want and take an expensive pill to keep their body healthy. Cholesterol pills are some of the more expensive drugs available and some even cost $150/month. Healthy eating would help you save the money usually spent on prescription drugs, and it will once again ward off future health problems.

I hope that this article is helpful to you in understanding ways to keep your medical costs down. Consult your physician about a lifestyle plan that would help you live a healthy life apart from our expensive health care system. He could probably go over other ways to help you save money from health care.