Spending less on medical expenses and maintaining good health should be everyone’s primary focus as it is the foundation of success in life. After all, one cannot rack up a fortune while in a hospital bed. Health is the foundation of fortune and the basis of happiness. When one falls sick, money would be the last thing on his mind.
There are many factors causing individuals to fall sick. This includes population, social factors as well as lifestyle. Although the amount of healthcare expenditure depends on the health status of a person, elderly people tend to use healthcare more often and much more intensively, as compared to the younger population. The Malaysian population as of 2018 was at 32.38 million and from this figure, 19.35% of them were over the age of 50. Unhealthy lifestyles also affects health care expenditures as those who live unhealthy lifestyles need more healthcare services.
As age is identified as the major determinant of healthcare spending, medical costs will continue to rise as the population ages. The cost of living in the country will inevitably increase and the cost of medical procedures will also rise in tandem. Although we are unable to predict when a person will become sick, we can however, learn how to lower these medical expenditures in the likely event it happens. So what can you do to reduce health care costs?
Be Well-informed
It’s no surprise that the more you know, the less you’ll be spending. People who are active in learning and improving their health have lower health care costs. This is because these people are able to take the necessary steps in order to prevent these illnesses from showing up out of the blue, biting them in the wallet. Studies also found that individuals who knew more about self-care had significantly lower medical costs up to 21%. One of the most common causes of being flat broke are unexpected medical bills. Therefore the more you know, the better state your health and wealth will be in.
Get Expert Opinion
What happens when you fall sick and are worried and unsure about your condition? The first thing any of us would do is to ask Google. Although Google may know a lot of things we don’t, we shouldn’t completely rely on Google – especially when it comes to symptoms. You might be vomiting all day with a bad headache and before you know it, Google has diagnosed you with cancer.
Doctors are much more of an expert and are certainly more reliable, therefore in the event of falling sick, always get expert help and get yourself checked up. Also, before heading to the appointment, make sure to write down all questions and concerns that you may have for the doctor in order to avoid any confusion regarding your health or consultation fees.
Ask Questions
Always. Ask. Questions. Don’t be shy to voice out any inquiries you have regarding your health or prescriptions. If surgery is required, be sure to understand the procedures to make sure there are no hidden costs. After all, whether you go to a public or private hospital, you are paying them for their time and expertise.
Make sure to conduct a thorough research on medical costs of different hospitals and clinics as the price may vary significantly depending on the place. The most expensive care does not necessarily mean better results. Other than that, always be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions. This is to ensure that your symptoms do not get worse, which will cause you to spend more and MORE money.
Take Good Care of Health
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. We’ve all heard this, one too many times, yet fail to understand and practice the literal meaning behind this old proverb. As simple as it sounds, the truth is that eating well and living a healthy lifestyle will undoubtedly reduce the risks of falling ill to a disease.
This is because a healthy balanced diet paired with exercise will give you all the nutrients your body needs to maintain your health and keep your weight at a healthy level. Besides that also cut out bad habits such as drinking and smoking as this will ward off dreaded diseases such as the Big C. Just by removing these unhealthy habits you’ll be saving a large amount of money purchasing these items as well as reducing a larger amount of money that would be needed for medical procedures these bad habits would bring about in the future.
Get Preventive Tests
Get tested every few months to ensure your health is in peak condition. As soon as you feel unwell, seek medical help to make sure the virus is not left untreated, as this might cause the symptoms to develop into a slightly more sinister, chronic illness.
Many Malaysians make the mistake of not getting a check-up as often as needed thinking they have nothing to be concerned about. This is the most common and biggest mistake we make. Delaying treatment will worsen any condition which will eventually result in a much higher medical expenditure. As prevention is cheaper than treating an existing sickness, take all the preventive steps you can while there is still time.
Compared to economic growth, medical costs are rising much faster. As the number of critical illnesses continue to increase due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, the number of patients also continue to grow. This means that hospitals have more patients to treat and are in need of more doctors. As technology advancement also comes at a high cost, this means that health care costs will continue to rise rapidly over the years. This is the reason why we should start taking care of our health while we still have the chance because if not, an illness could very quickly lead to bankruptcy.
Read More: Can Money Buy Time?
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