Your Healthcare Is In Your Hands

Staying in control of your healthcare is important and you shouldn’t let high medical bills, long waiting times and misdiagnosis prevent you from receiving the treatment you need. Here are a few ways that you can take control of your health.

Monitor your health with apps

It is thought that in the future smart technology will be able to tell us of any health risks we may have. Such tech is still in its early stages, although there are apps that can already help with reading blood pressure, reading your heart rate, counting steps and counting calories. There are even apps that can provide a free sight test. On top this, sports teams are now using clothing with sensors in that can be relayed back to apps and computer programmes to warn of potential sprains or sports injuries. Using this technology can’t replace the diagnosis of a doctor, but could serve as stronger evidence that there’s something wrong.

Take control of your insurance rates

If medical insurance costs are a big problem, it could be worth shopping around for a new scheme. Companies such as Health Insurance Innovations that offer more flexible schemes may be able to customise a plan more suited to your medical needs. Raising your deductibles may also be a way of lowering insurance costs – worthwhile if you rarely ever have to see a doctor.

Use an advocate

You may be eligible to use an advocate in extreme circumstance where you physically can’t pay for medical attention but need it. Advocates work with those in need to meet their medical needs, often making decisions for people that can’t make decisions for themselves. They’re also able to quite often negotiate medical rates with hospitals and chemists, finding you the best deal for you.

Shop around for meds

For those on prescription medicine, you may be able to save costs by choosing a different brand. Many of us will automatically choose the big brands with heavy advertising, but there are quite often cheaper alternatives out there that are just as effective. Because they don’t get the same advertising, we don’t always know about them. Use medicine price comparison sites such as GoodRX and online reviews to find a cheap reliable medicine to use as an alternative.

Travel for treatment

If long waiting times is your biggest issue, you could consider going abroad to get treatment. You may be able to find a specialist treatment centre that can fast-track you through to getting the procedure you need. The travel will add extra money onto the cost, but you may be surprised by medical bills themselves. It’s also the opportunity to turn a scary treatment procedure into an exciting travel opportunity – you may even be able recuperate in the sun.

Live a healthy lifestyle

Perhaps the biggest thing that any of us can do to take control of our healthcare is to first take control of our health. Eating and drinking the right things, staying active, limiting stress and not putting our bodies in obvious danger can all reduce visits to the doctor, which will cut out the need for medical costs and healthcare qualms altogether.