"If you don't have your health, you don't have anything."  This page will show you the best tips you can employ to safeguard your health, at the lowest possible expense.  An investment in preventive health is probably the best investment you can make!  I especially recommend reading the articles on Being Your Own Dentist and Cutting Doctor Bills.  Read these articles and take some of the pain out of modern medicine!

The best way to avoid the high cost of health care is to stay healthy and stress-free.  The key is to experiment often and widely to find all the activities you enjoy, then do them as often as you can.  Here are just a few of the many ways to stay happy and healthy:

	What To Do Now:   Time to complete:   As long as it takes Money you'll spend:   $0, the best things in life are free. What you'll get:   A happy and healthy life, I hope! Healthy Living Tip List:  Reduce stress: do your favorite things more often, listen to relaxation tapes, play an exciting game or sport, or indulge yourself in a sensual pleasure.  The Productivity Institute can help you reduce stress and become more productive. Take advantage of your support system  of friends and family.  "A joy shared is twice the joy, a misery shared is half the misery."  SocialNet.com can help you find like-minded friends close to home, and get some of your best matches ever. Eat well.  Cut back on sugar, fatty meats and other junk foods, and eat more of your favorite fruits and vegetables.  Drink lots of fruit juices: I like Martinelli's carbonated apple juice.  I also like to mix my own fruit drinks, mixing punch with different fruit juices.  EDiets.com will give you a free diet assessment, and a free newsletter to help you stay on your diet.  You can also read useful diet tips and talk live with a real person at their Online Help Desk.  More services are available for a fee. Studies show that laughter relieves stress and reduces pain (besides, it feels good.)  Watch funny movies and TV shows, keep comic audiotapes in your car, and visit funny Web sites online.  If you can laugh at your own mistakes, you'll be able to carry a sense of humor with you at all times. Further Reading: Reduce Stress, a page at HealthCentral.com to help people reduce stress and live better. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff, a top-rated book at Amazon.com explaining how to reduce stress and reach your emotional peak.

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With cigarette prices rising to about four dollars per pack, a pack-a-day habit costs a smoker over $1400 per year.  You can add on another $500 in health insurance costs.  There's also the likelihood of lost wages: an employer might lay you off first if they have to pay higher health insurance, and probably won't promote you if they view smoking as an offensive habit.

A smoking medicines article at MayoClinic.com explains the medicines that can help smokers quit once and for all.  These temporary treatments will help relieve the withdrawal symptoms that make it so hard to stop smoking.  It says "Only about 5 percent of smokers are able to quit without help.  The success rate averages about 30 percent for people who combine pharmacologic therapy with support and counseling from a health care provider."

Fortunately, online support is available at QuitSmokingSupport.com. They promise to "provide you with the most reliable and up-to-date information and resources available in a very interactive Web site to assist you in quitting smoking. We are totally committed to providing support and assistance to anyone who has the desire to stop smoking. Everything on this Web site is totally free of charge! Support is an important ingredient in the quitting process and you will find plenty of that here!"    QuitNet.org is another support site, with a free newsletter and tips.

I recommend that smokers buy anti-smoking medicine at an online drugstore.  Here's how:

	Get Help To Quit Smoking   Time to complete:   Varies Money you'll spend:   $25 per week for a few weeks, if you decide to use nicotine patches What you'll get:   $1400 per year in savings, and better health (also, you can deduct anti-smoking expenses in excess of 7.5% Adjusted Gross Income.) Step-by-step instructions:  Click here: Drugstore.com  A new window will open with this page. On the next page, choose your free kit. On the next page, type "nico" into the search box. Read about anti-smoking methods and get support at QuitSmokingSupport.com and QuitNet.org. Get "live support" from friends, family and other people who are trying to quit (or have already quit.) Further Reading: QuitSmokingSupport.com and QuitNet.org are good quit-smoking support sites. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available Quit Smoking for Good : A Supportive Program for Permanent Smoking Cessation, a top-rated book that can help smokers quit smoking for good, available at Amazon.com. An Insiders Guide to Understanding Your Hospital Bill, a top-rated book at Amazon.com that helps people understand and reduce hospital bills.

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In the flu season, it pays to get your flu shot.  The flu can leave you bedridden for two weeks or more.  The severity of the flu varies from one season to the next: some recent flu seasons have killed hundreds of thousands of people.  There was a terrible flu epidemic near the end of World War I that killed tens of millions, and the Avian Flu is threatening to do the same thing this year.

The Flu season starts in fall and peaks sometime in February, after which time it dwindles to almost nothing by early summer.  But in the meantime, it will infect between 10 and 20 percent of the U.S.  population and kill about 20,000 (mostly elderly) Americans.  You can get a vaccination at your local government health clinic, or at some all-purpose shopping centers such as CostCo.  They're almost painless, and the cost is only $10 to $15.

FluWatch.com maintains a map that shows the severity of flu outbreaks in every state in America.

	Learn When And Where To Get A Flu Shot   Time to complete:   10-30 minutes per year to drive to the clinic and get a shot. Money you'll spend:   $10 to $15 per year What you'll get:   Protection from miserable health and lost time. Step-by-step instructions:  Mark your calendar to remind yourself to get a shot in October or November. Don't forget to get the shot when October comes around. Read the Center For Disease Control's Influenza Page if you want to learn more. Further Reading: Mayo Health Oasis and Intellihealth.com are two excellent general health sites. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available An Insiders Guide to Understanding Your Hospital Bill, a top-rated book at Amazon.com that helps people understand and reduce hospital bills. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, a top-rated family medical reference book at Amazon.com that also contains tips on controlling health costs.

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To avoid unnecessary trips to the dentist, just do these three things:

• Swish your mouth with water after eating or drinking anything sweet.
  
  
• Floss once per day after supper (glide floss is best.)  Take a 9-inch length and tie it in a loop, for easiest use.  For best results, floss before brushing.
  
  
• Brush your teeth completely after breakfast and supper, being careful to reach back behind your rear teeth.

Did you know that 80% of Americans over age 40 have some type of peridontal disease because of bad dental habits?  Don't skimp on any of them!  I have tried flossing once every two days, I've tried brushing only once per day, and each time the result has cost me thousands of dollars in dental expenses.

	Be Your Own Dentist   Time to complete:   5-10 minutes per day Money you'll spend:   Dental supplies cost What you'll get:   Save hundreds or thousands of dollars in dental expenses. Step-by-step instructions:  My only advice here is that if you find it difficult to handle floss, try tying a 9-inch length in a loop.  You can brace it between the fingers of both your hands while you floss. You might also check your favorite drugstore for floss wands, which are hand-held disposable wands with the floss already in them. They are ideal for people with limited finger dexterity (such as arthritis sufferers) and can be found at most drugstores. It's also a good idea to visit a dentist once every 6 to 12 months, to get your teeth cleaned and checked, and to catch small problems before they grow into big ones. Read the American Dental Association's Teeth Cleaning Advice Page if you want to learn more. Further Reading: Mayo Health Oasis and Intellihealth.com are two excellent general health sites. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available The Whole Tooth : How to Find a Good Dentist, Keep Healthy Teeth, and Avoid the Incompetents, Quacks, and Frauds, a top-rated book about dental care at Amazon.com. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, a top-rated family medical reference book at Amazon.com that also contains tips on controlling health costs.

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The Consumer Information Catalog has the full online text versions of federal consumer publications covering the health world.  There are booklets about diet & exercise, drugs, and how to combat a variety of health problems.  You can view them for free online, or ask for printed copies that they will mail to you (some of which are free.)  Remember that these booklets may not be completely authoritative, and you may need professional medical advice.  Here are just a few of the pamphlets I've seen there:

• It's Quittin' Time. Describes the benefits and side effects of five stop-smoking aids: the anti-smoking pill, nasal spray, inhaler, nicotine patch and gum.
  
  
• Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? Being overweight can increase your chances of developing serious health problems, like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
  
  
• Ways to Win At Weight Loss. How to create a successful weight loss plan, including over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs and diet and exercise programs.
  
  
• Weight Loss for Life. Always following the latest diet fads? Quick fixes may not be the best answer. This guide will help you learn how to lose weight safely and stay healthy.
  
  
• Anxiety - Fact Sheet. Describes different types of anxiety disorders and what you can do if you recognize these symptoms in yourself or a loved one.
  
  
• Preventing Stroke. Stroke is the third leading killer in the U.S. and the most common cause of adult disability. Are you at risk? Find out more with this booklet and estimate your risk with its informative stroke-risk chart.
  
  
• What to Do When a Friend is Depressed. Depression is a serious disease that affects people of all ages, even teenagers. But with this group, it is usually mistaken for growing pains. This guide helps teens understand the myths about depression and tells where to get help.

	Get Free Health Booklets   Time to complete:   3-10 minutes to place your order Money you'll spend:   Little or nothing What you'll get:   Guidance on staying healthy: quit smoking, lose weight, eat right, prevent strokes, prevent depression and more. Step-by-step instructions:  Surf to: Consumer Information Catalog and do your thing. Further Reading: Mayo Health Oasis and Intellihealth.com are two excellent general health sites. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available An Insiders Guide to Understanding Your Hospital Bill, a top-rated book at Amazon.com that helps people understand and reduce hospital bills. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, a top-rated family medical reference book at Amazon.com that also contains tips on controlling health costs.

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The American Medical Association recommends that people under 65 and in good health should have a checkup every 5 years.  If you're in good health and you've been getting annual physicals, you've probably been spending too much money.  By skipping unnecessary examinations, you can save $200 to $500 per year.  But if you haven't had a physical in over 5 years, get one now.  Your doctor might be able to notice and fix a problem that you weren't aware of, and that might help you perform better and be happier.

If you develop a condition that you think needs medical attention, try calling the doctor for advice first.  A study at the University of Dartmouth found that phoning the doctor can save patients an average of $828 per year.

Caution:  I should point out that skipping physicals may incur some medical risk, because sometimes doctors notice a medical problem that you didn't know was there.  Here's how to get advice from the Mayo Clinic on the subject of which medical examinations you should get:

	Get A Physical Every 3-5 Years   Time to complete:   None, you save about 1 hour per physical examination Money you'll spend:   Doctor's Fees What you'll get:   Up to $828 per year in savings, by avoiding unnecessary physicals. Step-by-step instructions:  Click to:  Examinations Guide Page from the National Institute of Health.  A new window will open with this page. Continue to read the page for advice on which examinations to get (you'll notice that the page shows the year in which you should start getting the examination.) Further Reading: The Physical Examination, an article that explains the ins and outs of the examinations you should get to maintain your health. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available An Insiders Guide to Understanding Your Hospital Bill, a top-rated book at Amazon.com that helps people understand and reduce hospital bills. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, a top-rated family medical reference book at Amazon.com that also contains tips on controlling health costs.

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In spite of your best efforts, you'll probably have some health problems someday.  Here are some of the best ways to lower your medical bills:

	How To Cut Medical Bills   Time to complete:   Varies Money you'll spend:   $0 What you'll get:   Save many thousands of dollars over your lifetime by taking these tips to heart. List of cost-cutting tips:  Join An HMO:  It's less expensive than traditional fee-for-service health insurance.  U.S. News & World Report Magazine maintains HMO Rankings that can help you pick a good HMO in your area. Get High-Deductible Health Insurance:  It saves you money, and the high deductible will motivate you to watch your medical costs carefully. Get Low-Cost Medical Help:  Local government Health Departments often offer low-cost physicals, immunizations and tests. Generic Drugs:  Always ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs.  They are just as effective, and much cheaper.  Ask for free samples, because many doctors have a large supply. Second Opinions:  If your doctor recommends an expensive medical procedure, ask lots of questions about it.  Ask about new, "minimally invasive" surgical techniques that cost (and hurt) less.  Get a second opinion from another doctor.  About 25% of second opinions recommend against an operation, and propose an alternative method with good prospects for long-term health. Less Expensive Options:  Never assume that your doctor will recommend the cheapest option.  Studies show that many hospital stays are not medically necessary.  You can often save hundreds of dollars by avoiding unnecessary overnight stays in a hospital.  Often, the doctor just wants to "observe your condition."  If your health is solid, a loved one can be just as good at watching your condition. Check Your Medical Bill:  A recent federal study found excessive charges in 99% of all hospital bills.  Insist  on daily bills, which will let the hospital personnel know that you're a watchful patient.  Look for duplicate charges, phantom charges, unauthorized items, and poorly explained items. Further Reading: Mayo Health Oasis and Intellihealth.com are two excellent general health sites. Health And Fitness Magazines, 90-day risk-free trials available An Insiders Guide to Understanding Your Hospital Bill, a top-rated book at Amazon.com that helps people understand and reduce hospital bills. Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, a top-rated family medical reference book at Amazon.com that also contains tips on controlling health costs.

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