Invest in your health

Stay fit to avoid higher medical costs in retirement
By Lisa Hughes-Daniel

A couple with high prescription drug expenses who retire at age 65 might need $360,000 to cover their retirement medical costs. Source: Employee Benefits Research Institute, 2002 Notes.

Healthy habits for life

Here are things you can do to improve your long-term health and quality of life and also help keep medical costs down:

Get regular exercise. Even a 30-minute brisk walk five times a week can improve heart health, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes.

Don’t smoke. If you do, get help quitting. Smoking is one of the single worst things you can do for your health.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for many chronic, debilitating illnesses. If you need to lose weight, talk with your doctor about creating an exercise and food plan.

Eat smart. If your usual diet is high in fat, sugar and sodium, considering making healthful changes. Pay attention to portion sizes, especially when eating out.

Get regular checkups. Routine medical care, screenings and immunizations can help you stay ahead of any developing health problems and get treatment to stay healthy.

Sources: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014 Notes. Rand Corporation. Employee Benefits Research Institute, 2013 Notes.

The simple fact is chronic health problems are often expensive. Consider these statistics:

People with diagnosed diabetes have an average of $6,649 in medical costs per year that are attributed to the disease — about 2.3 times more than they would incur without diabetes.

Obese Americans spend 36 percent more on health care and 77 percent more on medication than those who weigh less.

Heart attacks and stroke cost the U.S. more than $312 billion a year in medical expenses and lost productivity, with individuals paying in the form of medical bills and lost wages.

In fact, two-thirds of American adults today are either overweight or obese, which increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of cancer. These are serious conditions that require ongoing medical care and medications.

Smoking, the leading cause of preventable death and disease, costs men an average of $20,893 more in medical costs and women an average of $23,142 more.

While some health issues you may face during your lifetime are beyond your control, the conditions mentioned are often linked with lifestyle choices, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.