The medical and health community has pushed education and messaging onto their patients and general society that we must improve our preventative care and take control of our own health. Doing so, reduces cost and improves our health. It is for our own good, they say.
Having worked in this industry for the past 30 years I can honestly share with you that costs for health care do increase every year. It is very rare to see a decrease in overall per patient cost in any single category based on age range. When cost increases we see increases in what it cost to have insurance including, higher deductibles, higher co-pays and higher co-insurance. We also see increases in medication and office visit costs that we must pay from our own family budget. We see administrative costs for providing that insurance and care also increase. The brunt of those expenses are passed to the consumer – – YOU!
Family Health Insurance Expenses
With the growing emergence and popularity of natural health I believe the message that we must take control of our own health has begun to be actively pursued by many people. This is due in large part to the financial burden of health care. The average family plan deductible for insurance is $15,000 to $20,000 per year for basic office visits to the doctor and prescriptions. There is yet another higher deductible if someone in the family has to go to the hospital or emergency room. Not many of us have that kind of money sitting around for medical expenses and if we did it is unlikely we’d choose to spend it on healthcare if we had the choice.
I don’t know about your family but mine would love to have an extra $15,000 a year that we could choose something else to do with besides pay for health insurance coverage and our “share” of the expenses for seeing a doctor. $15,000 would sure feel nice to have for a dream vacation, paying off the house, fixing up our home or just having as emergency funds. How about you?
There have been numerous times I have stood at the pharmacy counter and had to say no to a prescription because it was going to cost in excess of $200 – $500 for that bottle of pills. I couldn’t afford it so I walked away without that medicine. It isn’t that I don’t want myself or my family to be well but at the time I didn’t have that $500 to hand over for those pills. Sadly, I’ve seen others in the pharmacy line having to do the same. Maybe you too have had to make that personal tough choice as well.
Given that many of us just don’t have that kind of money in waiting every single year for medical expenses what are our options?
We could make payment arrangements with the doctor’s office or hospital – which many of us have to do when the bill is really large
We can take from another part of our budget and do without something we need or were hoping to purchase – something many of us have to make tough choices about every day
Say no and not buy it or just not go to the doctor even if we really need to
Meaningfully and effectively take control of our health and actually be able to use our money for health care that works and is something we can afford positioning us to be able to prolong the need to dip into the expensive health insurance for care
After having to say no a few times to medicine and office visits, I started looking for the options to change what put us in the place to be where we couldn’t afford our medicines and doctors. I didn’t want to be in that place anymore. I didn’t want to feel that feeling of not being able to access what we needed to get well or have my family get what they needed to be well.
Medical Community Support
The ironic part is many in our medical and health community still do not support this means of preventive health care and method of controlling our own health. Yes, we need to do it but the means and methods by which many of us have found are disagreeable to many medical professionals. That means and method being what is labeled as natural health.
I recently met a teaching physician at a dance recital. He was an elderly gentleman who was browsing the lobby vendors stretching his legs. We had a table setup in the far end of the lobby displaying our doTERRA essential oils and were giving out free massages to the parents and attendees to enjoy during intermission. This doctor upon realizing what was on our table started berating me for thinking nature can cure us. I asked him why it couldn’t and before he answered I disclosed that I too work in his industry. His response was mumbled but from what I heard he said that only doctors would fix our diseases. I kindly smiled and said yes I agree they will but if we can prevent needing to get to the point we have a disease and needing to pay to see you I’m going to try that first. He walked away.
In all of my blog posts I always advocate informing your care provider that you want to include natural options as part of your health care plan and strategy. If your doctor balks at that, get a doctor that is open to it. Don’t limit your health options that could actually support your health effectively and economically! Explore all options and welcome them into your care plan.
The doctor I met at the recital is a growing smaller population. There are many doctors who are open to exploring this area and looking as hard as the patient to find solutions that work.
What It Means to Control Your Health
When you firmly take the reins of your health care needs it does not mean you never go to the doctor again. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever use your insurance to refill a prescription either.
Here’s what it does mean:
You learn what natural options are and openly discuss with your doctor how to use them in conjunction with other prescribed treatments where needed
You apply homeopathic methods to resolve common illnesses as a first line of defense
You continually build on health progress to reduce risks
You become your own best advocate for yourself and your family
Managing our health naturally includes things:
Using essential oils and natural plant based products as the primary first line defense for illnesses and prevention
Improving our diets with natural ingredients and supplements
Reducing our toxic load and exposure to toxic risks
Proactively protecting ourselves without chemicals to rebuild our immunity systems and other support systems
Replacing chemical based products with more natural items
The movement to reduce chemical use means we are rebuilding our bodies and health to strengthen what it was built to do for us. Our bodies can self-heal and protect us. This is not to say we will never need medicine again, because we may. It means we are using our own resources and strengths first and allowing our body to respond.
Interested in more?
There is only room for improvement when we talk about our health and how to reclaim our wallets from the insurance companies, doctors and pharmacies. The good news is we can achieve health and be well.
If you have questions or would like further information please reach out
amyk@dragonspitapothecary.com
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