Take Control of Your Health
As the health care debate rages on in Washington I remain optimistic. I think that the legislature will succeed in improving access to health care for many people. But, I’ve said this before, it is imperative that each of us takes action now to sustain our own good health. We cannot and should not wait for legislation that can take years to implement. Here are some things every person should do to take control of his or her own health. The first three are well known, and I won’t expound on them, rather I will refer you to some informative sites. Points 4 and 5 are the keys to taking control of your medical future.
1) Eat right. eatright.org is the home site of the American Dietetic Association. The site provides informative articles and referrals to registered dieticians in your area. mypyramid.gov offers a personalized eating plan based on your height, age, weight and activity level.
2) Be active. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has an easy to use site that will help motivate you and get you moving in the right direction. If you haven’t exercised in a while, use good judgment; start slowly and check with your doctor.
3) Quit smoking. www.smokefree.gov, developed by the National Cancer Institute, is the best place to find online guidance and support services in your area.
4) Get insured. And get your family insured. Visit our site, www.getinsured.com or call our experts. We will work with you to find a plan that meets your needs. Everyday we are helping to insure people regardless of pre-existing conditions, tight budgets or complicated situations. Having insurance has a real affect on a person’s health. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation Study compared the health of people with insurance to those without insurance. The uninsured were significantly more likely to have no usual source of care, no preventive care, could not afford needed prescriptions and went without needed care. Ultimately insured people are healthier.
5) Have a Health Care Proxy. I know it sounds morbid and may be difficult to think about much less discuss with your loved ones. But, having a living will is the ultimate way to take control of your own health. Have the discussion. Write down your wishes. Be sure to designate someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf. For help you can go to www.engagewithgrace.org.
Posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 7:34 pm. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below. Your comments will appear immediately, but the author reserves the right to delete innapropriate comments.
Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
It’s great that you are offering tips to stay healthy and admit that the uninsured are often less healthy. However, I can’t believe you are trying to sell us health insurance! I can barely afford rent, let alone health care, and to add the cost of insurance to my monthly bills would put me under completely, vs having to pay out-of-pocket with money I can save up a few dollars at a time over several months. Find me a health plan that will cost me less than $10/month, without co-pays, and I’ll sign up. Until then I’ll use the $10 clinic down the street.