by Leslee B. Co
chrane, M.D.
The average life expectancy in the US for 2011 was 78.37 years; which is not bad compared to an estimated 40 years when our nation was born. But alas, there are no free lunches and living longer comes with strings attached. One of those “strings” is the ever increasing cost of health care, which has many families struggling to make ends meet. While we are waiting on the Supreme Court to make a determination regarding the fate of Healthcare Reform, I thought you might like to get started on your own personal “economic stimulus plan” with the following practical money saving ideas proposed by a real statesman, Benjamin Franklin, over 200 years ago.
“A penny saved is a penny earned.” How would you like to cut the cost of your medications in half? If you can use a pill cutter, chances are you might be able to do just that. For example if you take the blood pressure medication enalapril 5 mg twice daily, you can ask your doctor to write a prescription to take ½ of the 10 mg pill twice daily; thereby cutting your cost in half. In addition to this strategy, Wal-Mart has a list of hundreds of generic medications that are available for $4/month or $10/90 day supply! Talk with your doctor and pharmacist to see if you could switch some of your more expensive name brand drugs, to generics and watch the savings add up.
“He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.” As the proud owner of a black lab mix, I am not suggesting that you get rid of your dog. What I am suggesting is that you and your doctor have a little talk about your medications. Did you know that 1 in 4 hospitalizations of people over age 65 are the result of medication side effects? I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor and take all your medications with you and ask the following three questions. What is this for? What are the side effects? And, do I really need to keep taking this?
If you follow all these tips, you may soon be able to afford your own personalized portrait of Ben Franklin (on a $100 bill). If you look very closely, you will notice that he is smiling; and now you know why!
Hospice of the Valleys – Fostering reverence for life, relief of suffering, and compassion in loss since 1982.