What You Can Do to Limit Your Spend on Health Care and Health Insurance
Blue Daily
| 4 min read
Health care is expensive. Whether it’s the price of prescription drugs, medical care or hospital care, the cost of staying healthy can add stress to an already tight budget. At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, we’re working hard to make health care more affordable — for our members and for communities across Michigan.
There are steps you can take to manage what you spend — and ways Blue Cross is helping make those steps easier. Because while affordability is a system-wide issue, it’s also something we all influence. The choices we make every day — like using preventive care, living a healthy lifestyle or understanding our coverage — can help keep health care costs down, not just for ourselves, but for our families and communities too.
No-cost preventive care
Taking care of your health before problems start is one of the most powerful ways to reduce long-term health costs. That’s why preventive care is so important — and why Blue Cross and BCN members have access to many of these services at no cost when they go to an in-network primary care provider.
That means you may not have a copay, deductible or coinsurance for services like:
- Annual physicals
- Vaccines like the flu shot
- Screenings for:
- Blood pressure
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
Early detection leads to earlier treatment — which can help avoid more serious (and more expensive) health problems later on. When more people take advantage of preventive care, it helps reduce the overall cost of care for everyone.
Blue365® discount program
Did you know Blue Cross offers the Blue365® discount program for our members — to make wellness more affordable and accessible?
With Blue365®, members can get:
- Gym memberships starting at $19 a month at more than 12,000 gyms across the U.S.
- Virtual fitness resources like cycling, Pilates and more.
- Discounts on:
- Fitness gear
- Home exercise equipment
- Mindfulness and stress management programs
- Eye care and dental services
- Hearing aids
- Healthy meal kits and snacks
- Weight loss and tobacco cessation programs
- Travel gear and services
You can explore these discounts through the Blue Cross mobile app or at bcbsm.com/discounts. These kinds of savings make it easier to prioritize your health without stretching your budget.
Use a Health Savings Account
If you’re in a high-deductible health plan, you may be eligible for a Health Savings Account (HSA). An HSA lets you set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for things like doctor visits, prescriptions or other qualified medical expenses.
If you have a Blue Cross PPO or Blue Care Network HMO Health Equity plan, you can easily track your HSA balance, claims and contributions through your account. If your employer doesn’t offer an HSA, you can still open one through a financial institution.
By planning ahead and setting aside money when you’re able, you can plan and save for future health care costs.
Live a healthy lifestyle
Good health is one of the best ways to keep your medical costs low—and even small changes can make a big difference over time. Taking care of your body and mind helps prevent chronic conditions that often come with higher costs.
Here are a few habits that support long-term health and can help you avoid unexpected expenses:
- Eat a healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein
- Get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week
- Aim for 7+ hours of sleep each night
- Wear sunscreen
- Manage stress in ways that work for you
- Take your medications as prescribed
It’s not always easy — but the more we invest in our own health, the more we can protect ourselves from future costs. And when more people stay healthy, it helps lower costs across the entire health care system.
We're committed to affordability — for everyone
At Blue Cross, we believe health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. That’s why we’ve invested in programs that improve care, lower costs and support better health outcomes across Michigan:
- Value Partnerships with doctors and hospitals have helped avoid more than $6.3 billion in medical costs over the past 20 years.
- Our Blueprint for Affordability model — serving more than 1 million members — helps coordinate care and reduce unnecessary spending.
- New pharmacy programs, like Price Edge, are saving our members millions on prescriptions.
- Through Blue Cross Coordinated Care℠, we’re helping people with chronic conditions get the right support — leading to fewer hospital visits and lower health care spending.
Learn more about how we’re working to make health care more affordable at mibluedaily.com/affordability.
Image: Getty Images
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