Thais are currently at a higher risk of falling sick and experiencing health problems, which could be due to our lifestyle choices or the environment we live in. While good health is essential, we may sometimes find ourselves in situations or places that negatively affect our well-being. Moreover, dealing with health issues can be expensive, requiring significant financial resources to cover the cost of treatment. Therefore, we must plan our finances strategically to ensure comprehensive healthcare. Today, we have some investment tips for a healthier life and suggestions on planning for healthcare expenses through health insurance.
First, we would like to take everyone to see what factors or situations in our country, Thailand, can hurt our health.
Factors affecting the health of Thai people
● Smoking - Whether we are smokers ourselves or are exposed to secondhand smoke from others, it all has adverse effects on health. Cigarette smoke contains substances that can lead to various serious diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the diseases that can develop, with a higher risk the longer one smokes. Importantly, those exposed to smoke also have a similar risk of developing these diseases. Furthermore, there is a higher risk of developing lung cancer for smokers compared to non-smokers, around 10-30 times higher. Smoking also increases the risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline compared to non-smokers.
● Alcohol consumption - is a habit that, if consumed in excessive amounts or for a long time, alcohol will harm liver cells and stimulate fat accumulation in the liver, leading to inflammation or accumulation of scarring in the liver, which may result in liver cirrhosis and eventually liver cancer.
● Eating - is a personal matter that many people may overlook, especially consuming sweet foods like sugary coffee or foods high in fat and calories like fried foods. Accumulating a large amount of fat in the body can lead to the risk of developing abdominal obesity or consuming processed meats that contain sodium nitrite to help preserve the meat and give it a red colour. If the body receives a significant amount over a long period, it increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
● Mental Health - Currently, the number of patients with depression is increasing continuously. In the year 2021, Thai people aged 15 years and older with depression reached up to 1.5 million people. On average, out of 100 people with depression, only 28 people will receive treatment. This may be due to not knowing that they are experiencing depression. Therefore, we must constantly observe ourselves and those around us to receive treatment promptly.
● Environmental pollutants - especially PM 2.5 dust that affects health in the short term, such as eye irritation, nasal irritation, throat irritation, and if exposed to high and prolonged levels of PM 2.5, it increases the risk of developing asthma, allergies, emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
When we have identified factors or situations that negatively impact the health of the Thai people, those who can change behaviours or avoid places that may harm our health should do so immediately. For those who cannot change or prevent them, we can still invest in health for a better quality of life.
Five ways to invest in 'health' that you should do
1. Sleep
Poor sleep quality can negatively impact hormones and various systems in the body, leading to decreased productivity. Many people have trouble sleeping well due to improper sleeping positions and pillows that are not suitable for them. In addition to causing restless sleep, waking up with neck, shoulder, hip, and back pain is common. Therefore, investing in a good pillow is essential for improving sleep quality.
A good pillow supports the gap between the head and the bed, allowing our spine to maintain the optimal straight level possible. There are various types of good pillows for health, such as
Input:
● Health pillow will have a deep groove in the middle and help distribute pressure during sleep.
● Oxygen pillow that helps increase oxygen to the body without disrupting the respiratory system during sleep.
● Body-specific health pillow will have a specific shape different from regular pillows, such as a curved circular shape, doughnut shape with a hole in the middle, etc.
2. Exercise
It is an activity that helps promote physical fitness, health, and body strength. Exercise helps strengthen muscles and the circulatory system, boosts the immune system, and helps prevent diseases such as heart disease, disorders, diabetes, and obesity. In addition, exercise also helps promote mental health and reduce stress. Exercise is a way for us to exert ourselves easily. For those not used to exercising, start with walking or cycling and gradually increase the intensity. If you are afraid of exercising alone, you can invest in hiring a trainer to ensure you are doing it correctly.
3. Food
Eating good and healthy food is the best investment because food is something we must consume daily. There is a high risk of health problems if we do not eat properly. Even though healthy food may be more expensive than regular food, it is made with high-quality and safe ingredients, such as organic vegetables and meat that have not been treated with hormones. Investing in eating healthy food every day starting from today will benefit our health in the long run.
4. Technology for health needs
Health technology nowadays has been developed and helps us improve our health. By detecting abnormalities and enhancing various body functions, such as measuring blood oxygen levels (Smart Watch) that can store walking data, measure heart rate, calculate calories, track sleep time, count steps taken while running, energy used daily, and many other functions. Investing in this health technology is highly worthwhile as it caters to our health needs. Currently, various price ranges are available for us to choose based on our health goals.
5. Finance
On the day of your illness, there will be many medical expenses, especially the cost of treatment in private hospitals. The fees may be even more expensive if a severe illness requires continuous therapy. Even if we have money saved in our account, we cannot know if that money will be enough for future medical expenses. Therefore, in addition to saving money, we should have a stable and sufficient financial plan for medical treatment in the future—for example, health insurance.
'Health insurance' is an investment that meets health care needs, which comes with peace of mind regarding the increasing health-related expenses every day. Health insurance can provide peace of mind and investment opportunities. Let's read more about it.
Peace of mind with health insurance.
● Don't worry about expenses. Healthcare costs are high nowadays. Health insurance can help alleviate the burden of medical expenses from both public and private hospitals with adequate equipment as needed.
● Building confidence in life and having health insurance will help us feel secure and confident, knowing that when we are sick, there will be money for treatment without impacting the funds used to care for our families. In addition, some types of health insurance also provide life coverage in case of death, permanent disability, or severe illness.
● Tax Deduction - You can deduct tax from the health insurance premium paid throughout the year, but not exceeding 25,000 baht. Combined with general life insurance premiums or life insurance with savings, it should be at most 100,000 baht. The insurance must cover medical expenses for illnesses and injuries, compensation for disabilities and organ loss, and long-term care insurance.
By purchasing health insurance to provide peace of mind, it is best to select a health insurance coverage that suits our needs the most.
Selecting appropriate health insurance coverage.
● Insurance premiums, including first-year and renewal premiums, increase with age. Paying annual premiums is more cost-effective than paying monthly premiums.
● Insurance coverage details, such as health insurance with coverage according to the specified schedule or health insurance with actual payment based on a predetermined amount for room and medical expenses each time, will have higher insurance premiums.
● Coverage limit For example, in the case of inpatients and outpatients, there will be a specified amount per occurrence per illness, an annual limit, or the maximum number of occurrences within the policy year.
However, the investment approach for health we recommend is just one part that can help us improve our health. However, getting sick also involves many other factors and behaviours. Therefore, it is essential for us always to be prepared in terms of health and prioritize it.