Lower Healthcare Costs With A Little Family Teamwork

With health care costs rising much faster than the general rate of inflation, it is vital that we do everything in our power to keep these costs for our own family as low as possible. There are many areas that are within our control, making it easy to take advantage of all of them.

Here are some suggestions for helping lower health care costs for the whole family:

· If you don't already have a family doctor, primary care physician or nurse-practitioner, find one. Trips to the emergency room are expensive, and may not be necessary if you have a relationship with a healthcare provider. Ask friends for referrals, or call several doctors' offices in your area to find out who is taking new patients, and schedule a visit with one or two of them to establish yourself as a patient with that office.

· Take advantage of all free health-care screenings provided in your town. Free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, mammograms and other services are often available once or twice a year. Call your county health department to see when these screenings will be offered, or look for local health fairs which often provided these services.

· If you are ill and the doctor prescribes medicine, request the least expensive drug available for your condition, and ask for free samples. Your doctor may often give you as much as you need.

· If you smoke, stop. If you can't motivate yourself, call the American Lung Association for assistance. As a last resort, sit down and write your own obituary, assuming you died today of a heart attack or stroke. List your survivors, and then stop and think how their lives would be without you. Think about all the events in their lives that you don't want to miss such as graduations, weddings, the birth of grandchildren, etc. Carry a copy of your obituary with you at all times, and take it out and read it whenever you crave a cigarette.

· Call a family meeting to discuss ways to be healthier, even if you have never had a family meeting before! Explain to everyone that money spent on doctors and medicine is money that won't be available for family fun. It is important to get everyone's commitment to developing healthier habits. Ask for suggestions, and write them down. Even younger children may surprise you with their ideas! Schedule a family meeting once a week to see how everyone is doing.

In the family meeting, here are some suggestions of what you might want to cover:

· Make sure everyone knows to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.

· Discuss the importance of hand washing, and the proper way to wash. Most germs are spread by the hands. Use plenty of soap, and wash long enough to sing the "Happy Birthday" song or one verse of "Old McDonald Had a Farm".

· Make sure everyone in the family gets plenty of Vitamin C every day. An orange or a small glass of pure orange juice will help the immune system fight illness. A diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will also help the body resist disease.

· If your family members are overweight, do something about it. Stop frying your foods and switch to baking or other healthier cooking methods. Turn off the TV during dinner and get to know each other. Plan two healthy snacks a day for everyone. Put sensible portions of food on your plates instead of serving family-style, and eat slowly. Follow the USDA food pyramid suggestions when planning your family's meals.

· Exercise is also very important for healthy bodies. Take the whole family for a walk every day, or just get out and shoot hoops, play freeze tag, throw a Frisbee, ride your bikes, or do whatever it is you like to do. If the weather is bad, put on some music and dance, or work out to an exercise video. Take turns letting each family member choose the exercise activity for the day, and get everyone to agree to do the chosen activity without complaining.

· Make sure everyone gets enough sleep. Children need nine hours or more every night, and adults usually need seven or eight hours. If your children are involved in too many outside activities, eliminate the ones they enjoy the least. A rested body fights illness better than a tired body.

Be proactive about your family's health, and you can save big money on your health care expenses!