Happy 2025!
With the New Year dawning, many people are beginning their New Year’s Resolutions (or hurriedly planning what those resolutions will be!). Statistically, 79%* of these goals will be oriented around health and wellness. Regardless of whether or not you have made any New Year’s Resolutions, or if those fall under the “health and wellness” category, I want to encourage all of you to make time for your health this coming year.
A really simple, yet often overlooked, strategy to living a healthier lifestyle is to make use of your Medical Benefits. Many of us (and/or our partners) pay into a Health Benefits Plan, but how many of us actually use these plans to the fullest? As practitioners, we are emerging from the whirlwind season that is, “Ah! I have a month left to use my benefits, can you squeeze me in?!” Not that we’re complaining- we love the extra business and exposure. However, we all know that maintaining your health on a regular basis is far more effective than taking care of it in an emergent situation.
So how do you best make use of your benefits plan? First off, ditch the excuses. I have had patients say to me, “I don’t like coming throughout the year, because this issue always flares up at a certain time, and I want my benefits to cover it when that happens.” To which I respond, “If you take good care of yourself throughout the year, you most likely won’t have such big flare-ups.” Another common excuse for not using benefits is that it takes too much time to do all the things. Yes, going to appointments can take time, but if you don’t take time for your health now, you’re going to have to take time for sickness later. Also, when you’re quickly using all your benefits at the end of the year- this does feel restricting, but if you plan this throughout the year, it’s just an appointment here and there. If you’re concerned about not having benefits left should an emergency arise, perhaps consider saving just one or two forms of treatment for emergent cases.
Now that you have no excuses not to use those benefits, take a few moments to sit down and figure out what benefits you actually have. A lot of people know that they have some chiropractic and some massage, but many haven’t looked at their plan closely enough to realize that they also may have coverage for Naturopathic, Acupuncture, Counseling, Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Reflexology, and potentially others! Maybe you’re not sure what to do with these other options, or how they could help you. Have you been feeling sluggish? Struggling with hormonal changes? Just not feeling “quite right” ? An appointment with a Naturopathic Doctor could help you with some customized dietary and supplementation advice. Do you deal with chronic stress, chronic pain, or fertility issues? A Doctor of Acupuncture might be a good fit for you. If life is feeling a bit overwhelming or you’re struggling with time management, chatting with a Registered Social Worker might be a good option. Take some time to research these practices and decide how each could benefit your life, health goals, etc. and which ones you’d like to pursue. And yes, ALL of these practices can work together, you don’t just have to go with one, but you should be consistent.
Next you’re going to want to figure out how much per practice and what percentage your benefits cover. This way, you can determine how many sessions are covered, and if you’ll owe any additional fees. For example; (hypothetically speaking) Let’s say your plan covers $500 per year for massage at 80% coverage. For a 1 hour massage that’s $90, your benefits will cover $72 for each session and you’ll owe the additional $18. This also means that you’ll have enough coverage for 6.9 massages throughout the year (so if you book 7 massages you’ll owe $22 on the last one). When you’ve determined this for the various practices you’d like to utilize, you’ll be able to budget both your time and finances accordingly.
Finally, pull out or pull up your schedule and start booking appointments! Once you know what you have coverage for and what you feel that you’ll benefit from, start booking some appointments. If you have coverage for 6 of one practice, book an appointment every other month to start. Alternate that with another practice that you have 6 appointments worth of coverage for. Perhaps you book one of something every month of the year. Perhaps you book something every other week of the year. If certain practitioners only have a couple months open in advance, write a reminder for yourself, ex. “At the beginning of May, book 2 more appointments with Erika”. You get the picture. Scheduling appointments up front helps you stay focused and “forces” you to commit. Don’t forget to block the time off in your work schedule right away and remember to opt-in for text message reminders!
Your health determines your quality of life. The older you get and the more life you live, the more essential it is that you practice health care maintenance and disease prevention. Make 2025 a year where you prioritize your health and wellness and where you use the resources available to you to do so!
Resources:
コメント