All Sides in Health Care Debate See the Benefit of Better Lifestyles
Posted on: Wednesday, 9 November 2005, 12:00 CST
The state health plan that will be the subject of public hearings around the state over the next month or so contains some arcane but significant policy initiatives. Less arcane, but still significant, however, are attempts to get at one of the big drivers of health care costs in Maine: our poor lifestyles.
Mainers smoke too much, eat too much and don't get enough exercise. When we get a chronic disease like diabetes, we don't do enough to minimize its impact on our health.
These poor lifestyle choices land us in the hospital, sometimes gravely ill. If that isn't bad enough, treating the diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles costs a lot of money, too.
That's why it's encouraging to see the health plan try to address the choices Maine people make.
The plan asks doctors to work with patients to develop specific lifestyle goals - lose 10 pounds, exercise regularly, quit smoking - and then have the patient sign a pledge to achieve the goal.
Now, no one should expect this approach to transform Maine's couch potatoes to triathletes over night, but it's an imaginative start.
There is much about reforming health care that is controversial. The governor's DirigoChoice insurance product, for instance, is drawing heavy praise amid harsh criticism. Insurers are deflecting blame for rising health care costs, fingering providers. Providers blame government for not reimbursing them adequately for Medicare and Medicaid treatment.
What all these constituencies agree upon, however, is that getting Maine people to make better choices will make us healthier and reduce the cost of health care in Maine.
So, whether under a pledge with your doctor or not, resolve to lose that weight, quit smoking and get out and exercise.
What have you got to lose? Not much really, and you may gain years on your life.
Source: Portland Press Herald
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