In a perfect world, we would all have perfect health. Unfortunately, however, the world we live in is far from perfect, and many people do struggle with and have to manage various health problems on a daily basis. If you fit into that category, then you know all too well that managing your healthcare needs and costs can be difficult. The good news, however, is that there are several different things you can do to cut back on costs related to your health problem(s) and to reduce your chances of incurring new healthcare expenses as well.
1.Preventative Care is the Way to Go!
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Well, that’s certainly true, especially when it comes to your health. Just as you must have maintenance performed on your vehicle, you need to be keeping tabs on your own health and how it’s faring. The easiest way to do that is by scheduling and making sure you actually go to various health checkups as advised by medical professionals. The average person, for example, should be visiting an optometrist to have his or her eyes checked anywhere from once a year to once every two years, though those with vision or other eye problems should visit more frequently. Wake Ophthalmology has a bunch of great information on eye health, and other surgeries that can help correct your vision. Likewise, doctor’s appointments are recommended once yearly, and dental appointments are recommended twice yearly for healthy individuals with no known problems. Not only will you decrease your risk of developing serious health problems by attending all medical appointments regularly, but you will also decrease your risk of having to pay a lot of money toward health care expenses! When you take better care of yourself, your wallet and your body will thank you.
2. Go Generic
Sometimes, prescription drug users end up paying a lot more for their medications than they should simply because those medications have a fancy name and a fancy label. What these people often don’t realize, however, is that the generic version of the drugs they need is 100% identical to the name brand version; the only thing that’s different is the name and the price tag, which is drastically lowered. All prescription drug users are strongly encouraged to ask their prescribing doctors about switching to the generic versions of their medications if they haven’t already done so.
3. Compare Prices
Everyone needs health insurance in this day and age, but it’s important to understand that not all insurance providers are the same. In fact, rates can vary drastically from one insurance provider to the next, so shopping around and comparing rates and overall plans from different providers in order to find the best deal is strongly encouraged. Do keep in mind, however, that while it’s certainly nice to save money, getting adequate coverage is even more important.
4. Up Your Dosage
Don’t panic- we don’t mean that you should literally up your personal dosage of the prescription medication you require! What we do mean is that you should consider buying higher dosages of your necessary medications and then splitting each pill to get multiple uses out of each pill. See, pricing for prescription medications isn’t generally based on the dosage but on the number of pills in a bottle, so you could get the same number of pills and twice the uses out of a higher dose of your current medication. Dosage splitting isn’t safe or even possible with all medications, but if you ask your doctor about this option and he or she gives you the okay, then go for it!
5. Save Samples
Doctors love giving out samples of medications that they think may help or benefit their patients in some way, so take advantage of this fact! Regularly ask your doctor for samples of any medications you use or are considering using in the future. Doctors rarely say no to sample requests, and you can easily stockpile your necessary medications for emergencies and keep yourself from spending money on a product that you end up not liking!
6. Know When to Stop
People often take certain prescription medications long after they actually need them. If you’re just taking a medication because you’re used to it or because you haven’t been to a doctor to change your prescription yet, stop if your doctor gives you the go-ahead! Don’t take medicine you don’t actually need. Not only is it dangerous and potentially addictive to use unnecessary medications, but it’s also expensive!
As you can see, there are lots of ways to cut costs related to your healthcare needs. Whether you save money by getting to the optometrist or other doctor’s office more often or by rethinking your prescription medication usage, the important thing is that you do everything you can to reduce your costs and get more joy out of your life!
