Whether America is relying on private healthcare insurance or a more structured system like Obama care, our healthcare is communal. To a large degree, we all share in the costs and benefits of the finite healthcare services available. The healthcare pie, to some degree, is static and a sum zero game. With limited resources, the more healthcare that one uses, the less others can use. This is especially true for Medicaid and Medicare. While what we use today will not have an immediate effect on how far the M & M dollars will stretch, at some point the system will bend. At that point we will probably start to see lower services and increased costs.
With more than 50% of Americans overweight or obese, this breaking point will be coming sooner rather than later. When we get to that point, you will either have to pay more or live with more discomfort if you can’t afford the service you need. And with the lack of retirement savings for Americans at a time we are living longer, many people are going to have to live with the discomfort. The discomfort begets discomfort. The knee that needs replacing will cause you to walk more awkwardly putting stress on your hips. You will put on more weight because of your sedentariness that will put more weight on your body. This will cause other health concerns.
The point is…don’t wait until it is too late to alter the course of your health. Work to get in better shape today. It will also have a direct impact on your wallet.
SOURCES:
http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-law/read-the-law/
https://www.medicare.gov/