Health care and health insurance have been popular topics in the news lately, especially with an election coming up. We, as a nation, have been wrestling with the health care/health insurance issue for years, and the problem only seems to be getting worse. Many people seem to loathe the health insurance companies. The complaints run the gamut, from deductibles and co-pays being too high to not enough coverage. Insurance companies complain that they are doing the best they can, and lay out arguments to support their case, citing high prices of medical care, cost of insurance fraud, etc.
It is clear to me that the situation is complicated. Even as the presidential candidates discuss their plans to help this situation, an informed mind knows that no change will happen quickly, nor be a complete "fix" of the system. No matter what system is in place in what country in the world, there are always some complaints and people who fall through the cracks.
I do believe that good health care and good health insurance are essential for everyone. I also realize that there will always be some people who will need help in providing for themselves in this area. However, most of us are growing increasingly responsible for our own health care coverage and I believe this is a trend that will continue. Even with increasing options to help us, such as health savings accounts and flex spend accounts, I believe everyone should embrace the increasing personal responsibility you (yes, you) have to keep yourself as healthy as possible or be ready to pay the price.
In other words, don't focus on health care and what it can or is supposed to do for you. Instead focus on taking care of your health and what you (yes, you) can do to take care of it. A good goal is to keep yourself out of the health care system as much as you possibly can.
As a fitness professional and an exercise physiologist, I am privy to the overwhelming amount of research that shows how taking care of yourself, through regular moderate exercise, reduces your risk for almost every major disease known to man. Being moderately fit can reduce your chances of getting heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease, osteoporosis, obesity and every type of cancer. These are not theories; these are facts based on decades of research: you can improve and preserve your health through regular moderate exercise.
If you do not participate in regular moderate exercise, you, all by yourself, are increasing your chances of becoming an expensive liability to the insurance companies and therefore will have a harder time getting good coverage at a reasonable rate. As a healthy, disease-free person, you can afford to get a policy that has a much higher deductible, and therefore lower premiums, than an individual that is unhealthy and either has or is at greater risk for the chronic diseases listed. As the cost of healthcare and insurance rises, it is more important than ever to heed these words.
Of course, you can develop diseases even if you are in great shape; you could even get hit by a bus and need long, expensive medical treatment. But the evidence is undeniable that you can greatly increase your chances of staying out of the health care system by taking care of your health via regular moderate exercise.
Yes, the health care system and health insurance systems need work, but sitting around complaining about it is not all you can do. I think it is best to take as much of your health and need for healthcare into your own hands. Do not rely on our government or the insurance companies; be proactive. Remember, "The best offense is a good defense." Defend yourself against preventable diseases, decrease your need to visit the doctor, decrease your need for prescription medicine to the best of your ability. Take the personal responsibility of taking care of your health through regular moderate exercise - the dividends it will pay are worth it.