Healthcare problem solved in five simple steps…

There are many joys to self-employment. No boss. No commute. No deadlines (other than the ones that are self-imposed). I’m there to put my kids on the bus in the morning, and I walk them home in the afternoon. I make my own schedule, and come and go as I please. I usually go to work in jeans, and have been known to enjoy a late afternoon beer at my desk. That’s how I roll…

Sure, there are some downsides to working for yourself. The company picnic isn’t much fun. I have to remember to pay quarterly estimated taxes. And since I work from home, I have a tendency to go absolutely batshit crazy during these long New England winters. Come February, I begin to feel a bit like Jack in The Shining. My wife has been known to hide the rope and bullets.

But of course, one of the biggest drawbacks to working for yourself is that the health benefits blow. I have one of those high-deductible plans ($5,600/year) to keep the monthly premiums low. This means I’m out of pocket for everything until that point (with premiums, we’re talking about $8,000-$9,000 per year, give or take an ER visit).

Sick visits, check-ups, vaccines… all mine. My wife’s annual physical with all her girlie tests and bloodwork usually runs me $600-$800. My six-year old son gets frequent ear aches. A recent visit to the ear doctor: $350. Prescription nasal spray: $97. Waiting an hour and a half to see a doctor so he could tell me something I already knew: priceless.

Well, boo-hoo for me, right? But since I’ve never had a “real job,” I don’t know otherwise. It goes with the territory.  Considering more than 45 million people are uninsured in the U.S. right now, I’m just glad I have health insurance and can afford to pay the ridiculous premiums that give me nothing in return. Hopefully, they’ll be there for me if I ever really need them.

To be honest with you, I find all this talk of socialized or nationalized health care so amusing. In a recent World Health Organization health-care ranking, France came in first, while the U.S. rocked it in 37th (but at least we’re not lowly Cuba, waaay down in 39th place). While this news at first helped to rally support for healthcare overhaul, it is unlikely our system and shameful ranking will improve much any time soon – for two main reasons:

1. The United States is broke(n). We borrow money from China and other countries just so we can stay afloat and keep fighting two wars that can never be won. The only way to pay for it is by borrowing more, cutting existing services, and increasing taxes. Ugh.

2. People, especially Big Business, hate change. There are too many powerful people who like things just the way they are: insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, politicians. For big business, change = risk, and risk is bad. This has nothing to do with what’s best for the American people. It simply is the way of things.

While I may seem cynical or pessimistic, I’m really more of a realist. I’m simply not counting on the yo-yo’s in Washington to make my problems (e.g., costly healthcare) disappear. And neither should you. That’s why I went ahead and created my own healthcare reform plan to help any of my fellow Americans who may be sitting around on the couch, munching on Doritos, waiting for the government to save the day… So while you can’t change the health care system, you can do things to greatly improve the quality and quantity of your years. Be proactive. Don’t wait for illness to take over your life. I know it sounds overly simple and trite, but try to stay healthy. Read about proper diet and lifestyle habits from highly regarded experts such as Dr. Andrew Weil. Start an exercise regimen. A healthy, fit body is better at fighting off disease than one that is sedentary and regularly stuffed with junk food. Poor choices cause more health problems than anything else.

Just remember: No one is coming to the rescue.

It’s up to you…

Tagged as: action, awareness, diet, feel good, food, health, self improvement, small business