The Connection between Financial and Physical health (part 2)

Reduced Stress, improve Focus, increase Performance, Smokers versus Non-smokers

I once worked for a $50-million-dollar privately held company whose owner of the company would walk around and look for smokers in his office. He would then tell that employee that he was going to give them $400 right there on the spot— if they would agree to stop smoking. When and if they said yes, and I saw people say “yes” he took out a wad of cash and counted out four hundred dollars and handed it to them. That was the agreement. He knew what it cost him in terms of missed days, sick workers and rising health care costs. It was cheaper for him to give out the $400 and save a life, than worry that employee would lie and keep smoking and keep the money.

Special state of Art testing, Hope for lower prices, DNA, MRIs

The other financial advantage which produces a host of preventative physical benefits is medical testing. The growth in medicine is clearly reflected in the advances in MRIs, cat scans, and x-rays. The radiation is less and the machines are more complex. But keep in mind that your low cost health plan might not send you to get an MRI first, since that can cost thousands. However, another more expensive plan might let you go immediately. This also includes blood tests and special heart exams. All these tests cost money and early detection can save lives. Can you afford to get those extra tests even if they are out of pocket? Let’s just hope so. Of course some things have gotten less expensive, a complete DNA test to see all your future problems in the genes now only cost a few hundred dollars, years ago, the tests were less effective and thousands of dollars. So there is some hope for the financially challenged, to be at able to know what kind of designer genes that have and what illnesses might affect them later in life.

Special drugs that are Super Expensive

Then of course there is the rare case that you come down with some disease that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in fancy medicine. If your insurance company doesn’t agree to pay for these drugs or cures, you might be in for the fight of your life, literally. This certainly doesn’t add to one’s longevity. The ability to go for a special treatment in Germany might require you to set up a GoFundMe account to save your life–talk about stress.

We still don’t control the Universe

And even though you might save and invest, who knows what could happen to you. But at least you won’t be worried about getting fired from your job for missing work. An entry level employee might decide to work rather than take care of themselves, costing his employer more in the long run from missed work and getting other workers ill.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of property

So in summary, if you want to be happy in life, take a good look at your finances. Have you set up some retirement accounts? Do you understand the amount of money that you will need in the future? Does your life insurance care for your family enough in the event of an accident or sudden death? The better you plan your finances and take charge of them, the better your health will be and the longer you will live, most likely. So put some money away and get a good night’s sleep, you’ll live longer.