Lower medical expenses by making the right choices?

June 28, 2011

Image by m_bartosch
Every year billions of dollars are spent on treating preventable lifestyle diseases. It is expected that by 2018, more than 20% of medical expenses will go to treating obesity-related diseases. It is estimated that average yearly medical expenses will amount to $8,315 for an obese individual, compared to $5,855 for a healthy weight individual. An obese individual will have 30% higher medical expenses than a healthy weight individual. 

I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of financial and health status, should have access to affordable health care. But I also believe in rewarding behavior that can potentially improve one’s health and cut down on health expenses at the same time.  

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could save money on health insurance by making healthy choices? How about a discount if you don’t smoke, if you have a healthy body fat percentage, and don’t drink excessively? I think this would be a great way to reward the ones who follow healthy lifestyles and at the same time encourage people to ditch bad habits and replace them with healthier ones. In addition to lowering insurance premiums for people making healthy choices, it gives less healthy individuals yet one more reason to start a healthier life.



Reference:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-11-17-future-obesity-costs_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

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