As Americans are growing bigger around the waist, the condition of diabetes is becoming more prevalent. But what most people don’t realize is that when they are diagnosed with Diabetes, they are also being handed medical bills–which will continue to come in for the rest of their life.
Don’t panic just yet, however, as there are ways to avoid the costs associated with diabetes. Read on to learn all about diabetes, the costs associated with diabetes, and how you can avoid them.
Prefer to watch instead of read? Joe covers the costs of diabetes in his YouTube video.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease where your body doesn’t process sugar in the way that it should. There are two different types of diabetes, one which is usually present from birth and another which typically manifests in overweight adults.
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that can make your life very difficult. It can also cause problems like heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease, which can eventually lead to death. It is a very serious condition, and it requires lots of medical care to keep it under control.
The type of diabetes that you are likely to develop later in life is Type 2 Diabetes, and it is very dangerous if you are diagnosed with it.
Many Americans don’t know anything about diabetes until they are diagnosed with prediabetes, also known as a condition that presents itself before turning into type 2 diabetes.
What Causes Diabetes?
Scientists aren’t clear about what causes Type 1 Diabetes, but it is widely known that type 2 diabetes is caused by being overweight or obese. As an individual gains weight, the body begins to lose its ability to process sugar, leading to diabetes.
The Costs of Diabetes
As mentioned above, diabetes is a serious condition that requires medical monitoring. This means that an individual with diabetes will need to see a doctor with frequency for the rest of their lives. It is also likely they will suffer medical emergencies that will require expensive emergency room visits. Many diabetics additionally need expensive prescriptions, such as insulin, to manage their condition.
Currently, Type 2 Diabetes, as a whole, costs the US government 237 billion dollars annually, costing more than almost any other medical condition. Of course, much of this money has to do with Medicare and Medicaid, which are government-funded programs. It doesn’t even include those who use private medical insurance or have no insurance at all.
According to the ADA, if you are uninsured and develop diabetes, your condition will cost you about $16,000 a year. Even if you are insured, many private plans have limits, and diabetes is a condition that quickly puts people into debt. According to Healthline, you should plan to pay $2400 to $3600 each year out of pocket. And this is just an average, if you experience more medical emergencies, your bills may be even higher.
Even if you get diabetes and have Medicare or Medicaid, the plan won’t cover all of the care you need. You will likely still have copays you have to pay to obtain your medication and to visit doctors. And you will need to continue to pay these costs for the rest of your life, even as inflation causes the costs to rise faster than your income.
Diabetes also leads to many additional conditions. You may find yourself with renal or kidney failure. If you need dialysis, this is an expensive procedure that will lead to your medical costs being even higher than the above estimate.
Diabetics also frequently find themselves missing work due to their condition. Even if they work at home, they are frequently too ill to work. This causes them to lose out on pay. Some diabetics are even forced to go down to part-time work, causing them to lose their employer-sponsored healthcare.
Basically, if you are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, you are looking at a drain to your pocket that will continue for years to come. Therefore you should do everything in your power to prevent diabetes.
How to Prevent Diabetes
If you don’t have $16,000 to spend a year, or don’t want to find out how much diabetes will cost you, then the best way is to stop yourself from developing it in the first place.
The number one way to prevent diabetes is by losing weight and leading a healthy lifestyle. This means eating healthy food that nourishes your body and exercising with frequency. Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to turn when you want to change your life in this way.
Here at RxHealthyHabits, we are trained in preventing and even reversing diabetes and are ready to help you change your life so you aren’t burdened with the cost of diabetes. If you have questions about how we can help you avoid the cost of diabetes, feel free to reach out to us to get started.
Diabetes FAQ
What Are the First Signs of Being a Diabetic?
The first signs of being diabetic are feeling more thirsty than normal, needing to urinate often, and losing weight without even trying. You may also feel tired, weak, and have blurry vision. If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical care right away.
What is the Main Cause of Diabetes?
The most common causes of diabetes are being overweight or obese and living a lifestyle that is inactive. The best way to prevent diabetes is by doing the opposite of these things.
Can Diabetes Be Cured?
There currently is no official cure for diabetes, but many people have found that if they lose weight and live a more active lifestyle, their diabetes can be well-managed, and for some people, it may even disappear.
Can Diabetes Cause Death?
Diabetes is frequently a cause of kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, strokes, and other serious conditions. These conditions can oftentimes lead to death. You are also much more likely to die from a disease like COVID-19 when you have diabetes. Each year, diabetes causes the death of millions of people.
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