Affordable ways to start investing in your family’s health.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
You have many responsibilities when you start a family. However, perhaps the most important of these is ensuring that your family remains healthy. Promoting health and good living among your children and family members can sometimes seem difficult and expensive. However, there are affordable ways to start investing in your family’s health.
Take care of your family’s teeth
One of the cheapest ways to maintain your family’s health is to make sure their teeth remain healthy and cavity-free. Dental health is directly connected to overall health. Bad teeth can even lead to heart disease. Taking care of your teeth is rather easy. Toothpaste, floss, and mouth rinse can be bought for very little. Avoiding sugary drinks and foods can also save you a lot of money in the long run. It will end up paying dividends as well when your children don’t need to see the dentist as often. Dental work can be very expensive, but you will avoid a lot of those bills if you take care of your teeth.
Set up a family Health Saving Account
Another way to invest in your family’s health and save money is to set up a Health Savings Account or HSA for your family. The reason why using an HSA is so beneficial for out-of-pocket healthcare costs is because the money that is contributed into the account will not have federal income taxes applied to it. The amount contributed can, in fact, be deducted directly from your gross income on your federal tax forms. In the majority of states, these contributions won’t have state income taxes applied to them either. When money is withdrawn from the account, it won’t be taxed as long as it’s used for an approved medical expense. Interest produced on the funds while they are in the account won’t be taxed either.
Implement the Children’s Health Insurance Program
One program that was created by the government to help families pay for their healthcare is the Children’s Health Insurance Program also known as CHIP. This program was created for families that make too much money to be approved for Medicaid but may still struggle to pay for their children’s health insurance plans. The income requirements for obtaining CHIP differ based on the number of children a family has. The income requirements go down as the number of children in a family increases. It can also pay for the healthcare of pregnant women. Doctor visits, as well as dental care, are covered under CHIP. Co-pays may be required for certain services but are likely to be lower than non-government-provided health insurance.
Buy health-promoting mattresses for your family
What people sleep on can also have a big impact on their health. This is due to the fact that a sleep surface can affect the back, spine, and other important parts of the body. Sleeping on inappropriate mattresses can end up having negative consequences for a person both in the short term as well the long term. Overall, choose mattresses for your family that has been shown to be good for the back. This most usually includes a layer of memory foam above the coils of a mattress that can help relieve pressure on the back while supporting it at the same time. Better yet, a king-size memory foam mattress is a much better investment than a typical mattress. You’ll save money and promote the health of your family members at the same time.
Encourage your family to exercise
One of the best ways to stave off heart disease and other dangerous health ailments is to live an active lifestyle. Exercise can go a long way towards achieving better health. Make sure all members of your family exercise often. Getting your children involved in sports, for example, can be great both for their current and future health. It can also help influence your children to keep exercising even when they are on their own.
Conclusion
The health of your family is extremely important. You must take an active role in helping to ensure that your family remains healthy. This may involve contributing to a Health Savings Account or obtaining the right kind of health insurance. It also involves encouraging exercise and other healthy lifestyle choices with your family members and children. The list above is only a starting point.