{"id":136732,"date":"2012-06-19T04:00:20","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T11:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/?p=136732"},"modified":"2023-05-22T15:20:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T21:20:54","slug":"survival-techniques-for-the-barely-insured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/survival-techniques-for-the-barely-insured\/","title":{"rendered":"Survival Techniques for the Barely Insured"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re anything like me, you’re barely insured. I don’t work for a company that offers benefits and so I’ve had to shop for individual insurance. Setting aside what a headache<\/a> that was, I’ve ended up with catastrophic insurance. This means that if I step off a curb wrong and break every bone in my leg, I won’t be in totally ruined. That said, I don’t get any help with regular checkups or routine care.<\/p>\n

There are lots of things I do every day to help keep the Doctor away that go far beyond a simple apple. Every day, I work toward more optimal health and have learned that prevention is far cheaper than treatment<\/em>. Not only do I consider my health to be my greatest asset, but staying away from MDs is a financial reality I’ve had to learn to navigate. None of this is groundbreaking, but let it serve as a reminder that just like your financial health, your mental and physical health requires daily attention.<\/p>\n

Get Insurance<\/strong><\/em>
\nYes, it’s expensive and you’ll probably never use it. I haven’t had to go to the Doctor since college. The what-ifs<\/em> however, are too disheartening to ignore. Any sort of grave accident or surprise diagnoses, without insurance, would have me sunk. I have an extremely high deductible and not surprisingly, it matches my emergency fund<\/a>. If you feel like you don’t need insurance at all, you don’t necessarily need get much, but get yourself something.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stay Active<\/strong><\/em>
\nWe’ve heard it before but that still it doesn’t seem to budge some of us. According to a study by the American Journal of Health Promotion,<\/em> extremely overweight Americans have medical costs nearly 70 percent higher than those who fall into the normal weight range. It isn’t all about keeping weight off; regular exercise keeps joints healthy<\/a> and prepares you for life’s tumbles. I mean that literally. I have a friend who hasn’t a good sweat in years break his arm because he fell trying to avoid a skateboarder on the sidewalk. It’s an unfortunate event that probably could have been avoided with a little increased strength and flexibility.<\/p>\n

That said, for some, gym memberships, even to the YMCA, can be budget busting<\/a>. You don’t need to throw money at the problem. You’ll have less cool machines and built in inspiration, but there are things you can on a daily basis to keep yourself agile without spending a dime<\/a>.<\/p>\n