Can A Vegetarian Diet Lower Health Insurance Costs?

Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and strokes account for about 60% or nearly two million of all deaths in the United States annually. Studies show that the risk for developing these diseases can be greatly reduced by adhering to a plant-based or vegetarian diet. Vegetarians generally have less chance of developing these deadly diseases, thus they require less healthcare compared to meat eaters. We can therefore say that a vegetarian diet can save you money especially when it comes to health insurance.

Whether or not you are looking for affordable health insurance coverage, the important thing is to focus on improving your overall health. A vegetarian diet can help you achieve this goal and thus help you lower health insurance costs and medical costs. Several studies have shown that a vegetarian diet can decrease the risk of developing deadly diseases. These diseases like cancer, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity cost insurers the most. It is also interesting to note that on average, vegetarians live six to ten years longer than meat-eaters. The following items demonstrate how a vegetarian diet improves health:

• Studies show that vegetarians have significantly lower cholesterol levels
• Vegetarians have 50% less chance of developing heart diseases
• Vegetarians are 40% less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters
• Meat-eaters are more likely to be obese compared to vegetarians
• A study by Harvard university shows that meat eaters have 300% more risk of developing colon cancer
• Red meat consumption is linked to Type 2 diabetes development

Savings on Health Insurance Costs
Being included in an employer-sponsored health plan means that the insurance company has no choice but to provide you coverage, regardless of your health status or pre-existing conditions. If you are not eligible for an employer health plan, you will need to get a private health insurance. This means you will have to undergo a much rigorous health assessment. Private health insurance policies in most states are based on your age, medical history, weight, and whether or not you smoke. Being vegetarian can help you control your weight, which can eliminate a hike in your premiums. Additionally, a vegetarian diet can help lower your risk of developing conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases which may make you uninsurable.

Savings on Prescription Drugs
Anti hypertensive drugs are the second most prescribed medication in the U.S. Each year, more than 110 million prescriptions are written for blood pressure medications. Most of these drugs are not available in generic form, this means that the co-pays can be very expensive. Without a prescription drug coverage, costs can become very excessive. Furthermore, prescription drugs related to coronary artery disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension are among the top sellers in the country. Research shows that a vegetarian diet can help prevent or alleviate these diseases. Being on a plant-based diet is definitely cheaper than paying for prohibitive co-pays and prescription drugs.

Expensive, Life-Threatening Diseases
Health experts all agree that living a life of poor nutrition habits is one of the main causes of chronic diseases. These diseases are generally very expensive to treat. A coronary bypass surgery, for example, costs $50,000 on the average, and you will likely have high co-pays for this type of surgery. The difficulties and expenses associated with many of these diseases can be avoided by going the vegetarian way. This connection is even acknowledged by the health insurers themselves.