The Health Shopper

The logic is simple: the healthier you are, the less you’ll spend on healthcare.

Many of the major health problems in America begin to take form as relatively benign, wholly preventable issues – but some of these small issues can get serious quick when left untreated. Preventive care zeroes in on these potential risks, looking to avert bigger health problems. That’s why regular doctor’s visits and physicals are vital.

As part of healthcare reform, those on Medicare will receive free preventive services and annual wellness visits. But for the rest of us, yearly physical examinations and healthy lifestyle choices involving fitness and nutrition are essential. Effort spent staying healthy now is money saved on costly health remediation in the future. As Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said, preventive care can help “bend the cost curve down, improving our physical and fiscal health for generations to come.”

However, it won’t pay to request pricey heart scans for your teenager. As the Wall Street Journal points out, expensive tests and relentless scrutiny are only helpful in groups that are at risk for particular sets of diseases. For example, an echocardiogram will not be helpful to patients with low risk of heart disease.
So the key to effective preventive care is intelligent investment.

But the fact remains that only 3% of our total national health spending goes toward health promotion, while over 20% of our dollars are dedicated to the last year of life, according to American Progress. Many health plans offer free wellness resources for their members, from support for chronic illnesses such as osteoporosis to programs to quit smoking. However, members do not always take advantage of such resources, according to Chicago Tribune, despite providers and employers’ emphasis on preventive care.

Essentially, insurance hinges on the idea that medical risk is distributed within a plan – healthy clients won’t incur exorbitant medical expenses, so providers have financial incentive to ensure their customers’ wellbeing. Similarly the government, in the form of Medicare and Medicaid, makes a concerted effort to keep you in good health. Employers, in the case of an employer-provided plan, are also looking to see you fit and well. And, most importantly, the consumer wants to stay in good shape and avoid unnecessary medical expenses. So when you stay healthy, everyone wins.