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The INDEPENDENT, June 21, 2007
To Your Health!
By Judy Hargis, P.A., and Audeen Wagner
Health Care
on a Tight
Budget??
How can people
manage health care
costs and still pro-
vide proper care for
their families in
these days of rising
costs? It is said that
even if you are in perfect health, just thinking about the
cost of health care or reeling under the pressure of
health care bills can make you a little sick. If you have
no medical insurance, or are under-insured, it might be
hard to see the humor in that statement! Hospital vis-
its and prescriptions have gone up three times the na-
tional rate of inflation over the past few years, and av-
erage out-of-pocket expenses for medical care for em-
ployees have more than doubled over a 5-year period,
while wages have increased only 18 percent. The re-
sult of all this is that a large number of Americans say
that high medical costs routinely force them to neglect
doctor’s visits and skip prescription refills.
“That’s crazy. You don’t have to choose between
sound health and financial security,” says a Money
Magazine report. So, the question is: How can I cut
healthcare costs? Here are some tips:
• As many as eight of every 10 hospital bills contain
errors which increase the total amount due. So, check
all your statements carefully, and keep good records of
visits, lab tests, medications, etc. If you find a mistake,
contact the billing office requesting a corrected bill.
Itemized, please.
• Practice good health measures at home: Cleanli-
ness (wash those hands before eating or preparing
food); Drink less alcohol (if you routinely drink four to
five drinks at a sitting, you’ll average $900 more in
medical expenses in a year compared to those who
don’t drink at all); Quit smoking; Get some exercise
daily, and stay in shape; Eat right (take your lunch to
work and save $1000/year). In other words, a sincere
attempt at living a healthy life can drastically cut
healthcare costs. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
• More about smoking: A
pack-a-day smoker spends
about $1,500 per year, but
when you consider those extra
healthcare costs resulting from
smoking, it’s staggering: one
statistic says as much as $1,600 more a year than for lems as asthma, acute infections, minor injuries, and
nonsmokers. And that is not taking into account those much more. (Of course, if you have a real medical
catastrophic illnesses!
emergency, call 911 immediately.)
• Take advantage of health screenings for choles-
Patients are instructed to report to the clinic at 4:30
terol, diabetes, hypertension and some cancers, that p.m., where they are registered and get a short consul-
are offered free by health systems such as Tuality, tation with a registered nurse. Patients are seen by
OHSU, Legacy and Providence. You can find informa- volunteer doctors, physician assistants, nurse practi-
tion about these screenings by calling them or going tioners, nurses or other professionals. The clinic sees
online. Remember that early detection is key to posi- an average of 35 patients over a 3-hour period.
tive outcomes and reduced healthcare costs for you
This clinic is offering a huge service to patients who
and your family.
do not have insurance – all free of charge. The clinic
• No drug coverage: There is a website called Part- is operated through volunteer services and donations.
nership for Prescription Assistance (pparx.org), which
Learn to reduce your stress level, and find ways to
has links to patient assistance programs. Discounts PLAY! Never underestimate the value of simple
are offered on more than 2,500 medications (many re- lifestyle changes.
quire a statement of need but some are open to all in-
We welcome your comments and questions. Please
come levels.) And, ask for generic drugs whenever contact us at: To Your Health!, The Independent, 725
you can – they cost about 1/3 less than their brand Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, or email:
name equivalents. Incidentally, make sure that you fol- health@the-independent.net.
low the doctor’s instructions on taking medications – if
you are supposed to take all of the pre-
scription, even if you are feeling well, do it
– if you don’t, the result may be problems
later on, which will cost even more!
Park and the last riders go out
• Make sure that you get the preventive
at 11:00 a.m. Poker hands are
healthcare recommended for your age
$5 each. The Grand Prize is
group, including pap smears, clinical
two nights in Lincoln City plus
breast exams, mammograms, skin exams,
$100 cash. Everyone is wel-
prostate and colorectal cancer screenings,
come to participate.
etc. You can go online to WEBMD to find
Montana Silver Belt Buckles
the latest recommendations, or talk to your
The Vernonia Ridge Riders are on display at Vernonia
healthcare provider about these and other annual Poker Ride will be held Hardware with this year’s
preventive measures. This includes those June 30. Signups start at 8:00 theme of “American Spirit.”
well-baby checkups and immunizations for a.m. at the arena in Anderson Raffle tickes are $1 each.
children, too. Also, keeping on top of
chronic medical conditions, such as dia-
betes, high blood pressure, high choles-
terol, will probably prevent more serious
problems later.
ESSENTIAL HEALTH CLINIC
Every Monday and Thursday evening,
the Essential Health Clinic, at 266 W. Main
Street, Hillsboro, serves uninsured and
low-income individuals and families with
medical problems. The volunteer staff
identifies and treats such medical prob-
It’s Ridge Riders Poker Ride time
Ne
Brid w Loca
at J ge St . tion
E
.C.
Pen ntranc
ney
e
Bldg
.
Products & Services
• PC parts & Service
Low Rates for PC repair
We build new computers
• Cingular Service and a
Wide Variety of cell phones
• Office Supplies
• 24 hr. Ink& Toner Refill
Tel: 503.429.8324
Open Mon. thru Sat.10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
886 Bridge Street, Vernonia