American obesity has become the norm in recent years. 60 percent of Americans are qualified as “overweight” or “obese.” But how does this directly impact health care costs? By saving a few dollars on a Super Sized fast food meal may bring larger medical bills in the future.
If you want to save money on health care, not to mention possibly saving your life, you should develop a plan to lose weight and get in shape.
Weighing in on Premium Costs
If you are looking for a new health care plan, either individual, family, or group, your current weight may be a big factor in how much premium you will pay, or whether certain conditions will be excluded from your plan. It is a fact that overweight and obese people are at higher risk for certain conditions such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even certain types of cancer.
Insurance companies will take your current weight into high consideration when determining a premium rate. If their risk of future medical bills is high, you can bet that they will charge you more for the plan.
How Weight Can Diminish Coverage
In some cases, an insurance company may accept an overweight person for coverage, but exclude certain conditions from the policy. For instance, if a 47 year old man is applying for new coverage, is 50 pounds overweight, and has had previous physician attention for a heart condition, it is likely that the insurance company will exclude any claims for heart treatment. That means the man will pay out of his own pocket for continued heart treatment or for emergency care due to a heart attack.
To avoid excessive health care costs out of your pocket, you can stack the deck in your favor by attaining your target weight for your age and height. And yes, that may mean letting go of the Big Mac and opting instead for a healthier choice of quick lunch. But if you can manage your weight you will see the gains in your health care coverage.
