The Cost of Illness – Can You Afford It?

Is it not enough that our economy has stagnated and credit has become harder to get, but then what if illness strikes?

 Illness is one of the most devastating economic burdens to plague Americans.  Illness claims the majority of personal bankruptcy in America, illness leads to loss of employment, illness places enormous stress on individuals and their families, illness limits travel, illness changes travel plans, illness creates fear, illness results in unlimited expenditures on insurance, and overall Illness Changes Our Lives!

 Leading and understanding a healthy lifestyle can prevent much illness in our lives.  We all buy insurance (health insurance, disability insurance, long term care and life insurance), but yet we don’t lead a lifestyle that may prevent illness or enhance our daily life. How much does this cost?  

Health insurance costs employers $9,325 per person/year in 2008.  Individuals pay on average an additional $3,354 out of their pay check and at least $1,000 in deductibles and co-pays.  This is double what it was in 1999.

 Disability insurance costs about $1,800 a year for someone earning $60,000 a year.  Long-term care insurance is about $1,500 – 2,000 per year for a 70 year old and life insurance is $82 – 92 for a healthy 50 year old and $471- 541 for an obese 50 year old smoker.

 All totaled we spend about $20,000 each year for fear of illness.

 PREVENTION MAKES THE MOST SENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Darrell L. Tanelian, M.D., Ph.D.

Comments

[Rachel]

You are sooooo right on! Why can't people understand this? You can put this into perspective with so many things - women spend money on preventing wrinkles, we buy cars with airbags and other preventative measures for not getting hurt, etc., etc., but so many people miss the boat being preventative with their health. I'm on the boat though - thanks to Molecular Fitness!