| Prevention: Stay healthy and save money, too Have you ever thought about the difference between health care and medical care? There are a variety of explanations, but the one I like best is that health care encompasses the proactive, preventive ways we take care of ourselves, while medical care is the reactive way we try to fix health problems. I usually provide advice that helps people on the medical-reactive side of the equation. Instead, today we’ll concentrate on prevention as a proactive way to improve not only your body’s health, but your wallet’s health, too. We’ll begin with what you already know. The best way to prevent health problems is by eating right, exercising regularly, staying clean, driving safely, washing your hands, staying active, relieving stress, having safe sex and getting plenty of sleep. As human beings, however, we find it difficult to motivate ourselves to do all those healthy things. We continue to find ourselves paying out for the pound of cure, when the ounce of prevention is so much less expensive. Staying healthy is its own reward, although sometimes it’s difficult to measure since we rarely know what illnesses we didn’t get. It might be easier to stay motivated if you understand some of the bonuses to keeping those healthy habits: Prevention saves time: Building time into your schedule for exercise, a good night’s sleep and those other good habits, then following through, may cut down on the number of sick day absences you have from work. Further, you may avoid unplanned visits to the doctor or emergency room. Most of us have crazy schedules; we never make room for surprises. Building healthy routines will keep unpleasant time consuming surprises at bay. Prevention saves money: Many employers understand the correlation between healthy behaviors and saving money. That’s why they build fitness centers in work places. Some even pay employees to quite smoking or to eat healthy meals. When it comes time to purchase health insurance, you as a healthy person may be able to take advantage of higher deductibles. You may also save on the co-pays and co-insurance that come out of pocket, and you may not need so many prescriptions or other drugs. We often make resolutions this time of year. Consider a resolution that focuses on proactive prevention choices. It’s your opportunity to keep not just your body, but your schedule and wallet healthier, too. TOP | 
