Being sick is expensive. Maintaining quality healthcare is one of the most common kind of expenditure for the individual, family, community or country.
The challenge is always how to cut down the cost of healthcare without compromising the standard of care. Most medical services are provided by companies and entities that are primarily motivated by profit. However the provision of healthcare is predominantly perceived as a humanitarian undertaking because people do not suffer ailments by choice and in most cases sick people are vulnerable.
The responsibility of ensuring that the cost of Medicare is reduced is on two levels; the individual and the policy makers.
On the part of the individual:
* Preventive treatment remains the best treatment. Maintaining the right sanitary habits, adhering to the right diet and exercising would help keep sickness away and keep down your medical expenses.
* You must get informed on the various options for buying or purchasing medical services. Identify outlets that deliver affordable services. Find out if you qualify for discounts or subsidies.
* You must endeavor to get medical insurance. This would help to drastically cut down the cost of medical services.
* Be part of a collective bargaining plan. This would ensure that you take advantage of the power of bulk purchase which would reduce the unit cost of the product.
* Confirm the credentials of your healthcare providers to ensure that they are competent and do not engage in defensive medical practice.
* Organize to put pressure on policy makers which include politicians, hospital administrators, regulators of pharmaceutical companies, medical services retailers and medical services providers to maintain reasonable pricing of medical services.
On the part of policy makers:
* Ensure that as many people as possible have access to health insurance.
* Ensure reasonable pricing for medications and pharmaceutical products.
* Break up monopolies in the healthcare industry.
* Ensure strict regulations and monitoring of healthcare professionals.
*Maintain reasonable pricing for all medical services by allowing cheaper alternatives.
These measures if well implemented would deliver affordable healthcare without compromising quality.
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