If you’re like most people who make New Year’s resolutions, one popular goal is to improve your health.

Exercise, eating right, and getting plenty of rest is a worthy pursuit.
Because after all, excellent health is a form of wealth, right?

And I don’t have to tell you what happens if you don’t take care of your health. With the rising costs of healthcare plus an increase in health insurance premiums—being unhealthy can drain your savings in a hurry.

Today we’re tackling Action Step #6: Healthcare Cost Management. Here are a few ways you can improve yours:

Cut costs on your medicine – ask your health care provider if they can proscribe generic medicines or a less expensive prescription. See if you can order your medicine by mail, which can save you time and money.

Take advantage of your benefits – get routine health care screenings. Often, you don’t have to pay a co-pay for screenings, vaccines, and annual check-ups. Your health plan may offer the services of a health advocate or case manager. Introduce yourself because they can help you get the most out of your benefits.

Prepare for urgent and emergency care – decide how you want to handle such situations by identifying when it’s time to call your provider, head out to an urgent care clinic, or get emergency care. Save time and money by going to an urgent care center or see your provider instead of using the emergency department. Know which urgent care center is near you.

By planning ahead, you can cut costs and put the extra savings into your bank account. Which makes for a nice, healthy portfolio. If you’d like more ideas on building your wealth, give us a call at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online. Let’s make sure you have a great financial “health maintenance plan.” Tomorrow, we’ll talk about another important way to manage healthcare costs. Stay tuned!

Regards,
Dan Cuprill, CFP®