The Importance Of Preventive Healthcare

One of the best ways to stay healthy — not to mention save money — is to take advantage of preventive healthcare.

Preventive care emphasizes keeping people healthy. This includes getting regular checkups and immunizations. It can refer to “wellness care,” meaning things like lifestyle coaching and education to promote healthy habits.

Why Preventive Care Is Crucial

One of the most tragic things about many serious health problems is that they are preventable. Many problems that start as small health issues — the kind we all tend to ignore — can turn serious if they go undetected and untreated.

That’s why getting regular physical exams from your family doctor or primary care physician is crucial. Doctors can catch the things that you might dismiss as just mildly annoying — but could really be putting your health at risk.

Preventive Care Saves You Money

It’s common sense: healthier people spend less money on healthcare. Managed care plans have taken this common sense approach and turned it into a healthcare model.

Managed care — including HMO, PPO, and POS plans — emphasizes preventive care and good overall health. The thinking goes like this: insurance is based on the idea of spreading out risk among all of a plan’s members. Healthier members have less risk of needing expensive care. By keeping their members healthy, the plans can keep costs down. It makes sense for everyone.

To help everyone stay healthy, managed care plans make it easy to see a doctor. For example, HMO plans usually charge a copayment as low as $10 to see a doctor. And almost all plans — managed care and otherwise — give their members free resources to keep them in good health. These include programs to help you quit smoking, lose weight, or manage a chronic condition like asthma.

Choosing A Plan That Gives You The Care You Need

Many kinds of health plans are available. Each one offers different options. Finding the right one depends on what you need. If routine care at a low price is important, an HMO plan might be right for you. If you need more specialized care, you might want something more flexible, like a PPO or POS plan.

To find the right plan, compare quotes from several agents. When you use our online service to request free health insurance quotes you’ll get offers from up to 5 agents. They’ll help you decide which plan will keep you the healthiest while meeting your budget.