Staying healthy has obvious physical benefits, like the chance for a longer and higher quality of life.
There is also the increased opportunity to partake in physical activities like team sports, or hiking and skydiving.
But there are also potential financial benefits to staying healthy. These may manifest in lower insurance premiums, lower medical care costs, and other less obvious ways.
The Immediate Benefits
Some benefits may be immediately observable, like a potential drop in insurance premiums for those who quit smoking or who allow an insurance company to track their daily exercise goals and accomplishments.[i] Of course, a healthier body may translate to fewer doctor visits and medication expenses, which may mean lower costs for anyone with high deductibles and copays.
For family members, a longer, healthier, higher quality life may also mean fewer expenses in your twilight years, when senior citizens may continue to live in their own homes without assistance. Of course, genetics play a role in the development and progress of health, but many leading causes of death may be entirely or partially preventable.[ii] Actively pursuing a healthy lifestyle may lead to lower risk of disease and debilitation.
Health and life insurance companies want to attract these kinds of clients (who are long-lived, make fewer claims, and pay premiums for a greater amount of time), so these companies may offer benefits in return. Family members and friends may potentially have less to pay for end-of-life care and even benefit from being able to spend more time with loved ones. This may produce positive financial results, like fewer sick days from stress-related illness and better mental health.
The Less Obvious Benefits
Lower insurance premiums, lower medical costs, and more time to live in a meaningful way are obvious potential benefits of good health. But many latent financial benefits are also derived from maintaining good health. One example is being able to perform certain daily activities that may save you money.
Those with health problems often simply cannot perform tasks that may be taken for granted by healthy individuals, like packing and moving house, walking to the grocery store 15 minutes away, or living in a more affordable walk up building on a non-ground floor. Those who are unhealthy may need to hire people to help them move, to shop for them, or be required to pay a premium for access to a building with an elevator (or potentially even more costly, have a chair lift installed in their home).
A possible benefit of healthier eating is an appreciation for more subtle tastes that are not overpowered by sugar and salt. Those who regularly eat low salt or low sugar foods may create a positive feedback cycle wherein they remain healthy because they start to truly enjoy healthier food. This can lead to a wider range of options of enjoyable food and may help lower food costs.[iii]
Saving on transportation costs can be a benefit of health as well if you’re able to bike or walk to work. Living too far from your place of employment may make this impossible, but for those who live nearby, commuting by bicycle or walking on days with suitable weather may cut down costs on transportation while simultaneously providing the benefit of exercise.
One of the less evident but easily identifiable benefits of maintaining good health may be stronger cognitive abilities and better mood balancing. Eating healthy[iv] may contribute to brain health, while regular exercise[v] may help stimulate improved memory function and thinking skills. Better health may lead to more opportunities. Improved mood may also help navigate society more adeptly, possibly leading to even further opportunity, both economically and in personal fulfillment.
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This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to promote any certain products, plans, or strategies that may be available to you. As with any health-related change you may wish to make, seek the advice of a professional nutritionist, medical doctor, or health practitioner.
[i] https://qz.com/1396035/life-insurance-giant-john-hancock-is-asking-customers-to-wear-health-trackers/\ [ii] https://www.healio.com/cardiology/chd-prevention/news/online/%7b3fa64285-7e6e-4068-833e-eb85182aa285%7d/cdc-heart-disease-cancer-leading-causes-of-death-in-2017\ [iii] https://www.consumerreports.org/healthy-eating/healthy-food-does-not-have-to-cost-more/\ [iv] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626\ [v] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110