Let's forget about healthcare reform for a minute as the primary way to reduce healthcare costs in the US.
In reality, the best way to reduce healthcare costs in the US is via personal responsibility and common sense. Here are a few things that would probably reduce healthcare costs in the US by 25% or more.
1. Lose weight. We are the most obese nation in the world.
How much do you think the obesity problem adds to our healthcare costs in the form of diabetes, heart attacks, etc. Stop gorging ourselves on fast food, snacks, etc, etc and begin eating reasonable portions that include fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Then, get out and exercise.
2. Stop smoking, using illicit drugs and drinking to excess. These activities result in huge healthcare related costs due to lung cancer, emphysema, liver damage, rehab, etc, etc.
3. Stop going to the doctor demanding treatment for minor ailments such as colds. We've become a nation of wimps and hypochondriacs. People run to the doc for viral illnesses such as the common cold, viral ear infections, viral sinus infections, etc and demand antibiotics. Unfortunately, too many docs bow to the demands of the patient. This type of behaviour adds huge levels of expense to the healthcare system.
I'm sure others can add to the list. Before we "reform" our system, let's see if we can get to the real root of the problems and not only save money, but also save and improve the quality of many, many lives.
I don't want to be saddled with the cost of paying the premiums for people that do not take care of themselves. If nothing else, high risk folks that refuse to modify behaviour should be charged significantly higher premiums than those that reduce our healthcare risk, and therefore cost, by taking care of our bodies.
In reality, the best way to reduce healthcare costs in the US is via personal responsibility and common sense. Here are a few things that would probably reduce healthcare costs in the US by 25% or more.
1. Lose weight. We are the most obese nation in the world.
How much do you think the obesity problem adds to our healthcare costs in the form of diabetes, heart attacks, etc. Stop gorging ourselves on fast food, snacks, etc, etc and begin eating reasonable portions that include fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Then, get out and exercise.2. Stop smoking, using illicit drugs and drinking to excess. These activities result in huge healthcare related costs due to lung cancer, emphysema, liver damage, rehab, etc, etc.
3. Stop going to the doctor demanding treatment for minor ailments such as colds. We've become a nation of wimps and hypochondriacs. People run to the doc for viral illnesses such as the common cold, viral ear infections, viral sinus infections, etc and demand antibiotics. Unfortunately, too many docs bow to the demands of the patient. This type of behaviour adds huge levels of expense to the healthcare system.
I'm sure others can add to the list. Before we "reform" our system, let's see if we can get to the real root of the problems and not only save money, but also save and improve the quality of many, many lives.
I don't want to be saddled with the cost of paying the premiums for people that do not take care of themselves. If nothing else, high risk folks that refuse to modify behaviour should be charged significantly higher premiums than those that reduce our healthcare risk, and therefore cost, by taking care of our bodies.
