The financial cost of chronic pain is a terrible burden for some patients. In fact, the economic stress of long-term health issues can be just as bad as the pain or illness itself. As a fellow victim of chronic pain, I realize just how difficult it can be to cover the sometimes overwhelming costs of treatment, medications and diagnostic evaluation. My own diagnostic and treatment costs have amounted to a ridiculous sum, when I consider the financial ravages of my own problematic health issues over an extended timeline of about 30 years.
As a younger man, I had very limited health insurance coverage and this forced me to pay out-of-pocket for many medical and complementary medical care practices. My chiropractic care alone cost over forty thousand dollars over the 18 years I participated in regular spinal adjustment treatment. Once I had the benefit of enjoying quality and comprehensive health insurance, it was only because I purchased it myself and paid for it out of pocket. My family plan cost me over a thousand dollars each and every month, whether we needed any care or not. Of course, when we did need to see a doctor, go to a hospital or have some diagnostic testing done, there was always some co-pay that we needed to cover, on top of our already high monthly premiums.
Later in life, I was lucky to get health coverage from my wife’s employer for a very short time, until we relocated and had to return to being self-insured. However, this time, my options were even more limited, as an expat in a foreign country and with every condition I had ever received care for in my entire life being considered “pre-existing” and therefore outside of my policy coverage. The “cheap” healthcare in our present home can actually be very expensive when you consider the cost of any chronic or recurrent problem and the virtually criminal definition of “pre-existing and therefore uncovered” conditions.
Times are tough and the sluggish world economy has caused so many patients to suffer financial hardship in the first place. When people also suffer long-term health problems, such as chronic pain or illness, the monetary cost can add up quickly, drastically cutting into needed living expenses, even when the person is lucky enough to enjoy quality comprehensive health insurance coverage. I have seen the financial consequences of chronic pain becoming more of a problem year over year, since 2008, and it shows no sign of getting better any time soon.
We all know that stress exacerbates pain and illness. This is called emotional overlay. However, some of us do not know that stress can be suppressed or repressed, actually contributing to, or even causing, problematic health issues. The financial tension we suffer on a day-to-day basis has definitive negative effects on our collective wellness and for many of us, may be a contributory factor to or primary causation of our health issues. Money is great if you have it, but can become a terribly bitter commodity when it is absent and most needed…
I often speak in great detail to clients about monetary woes, particularly those associated with their chronic health problems. Many client goals are geared towards overcoming financial concerns or at least minimizing the health effects of the downturns in socio-economic status that are often a part of chronic health issue victimization.
People may sacrifice themselves in order to pay for things they deem more important in life. They might forego needed care or treatment to purchase “things”; aka material possessions. I am always floored by the power of consumerism, even in the face of dreaded illness. It seems that a great percentage of us place the value of our health so low that we would rather spend money on anything else in life. In fact, only a tiny percentage of my clients realize the value of investing in themselves, especially at the beginning of their pain or illness coaching process.
I am a realist and understand that compromises have to be made in order to survive. However, we all must understand that the most important thing we have is our health and if it takes investing some money to make ourselves feel better and function better, then we must make these expenditures happily in order to be our best, despite our sufferings and impediments. I have actually seen clients hesitantly invest in what they considered optional healthcare costs and subsequently feel much better due to their decisions. They were able to parlay their constitutional improvements into more earnings opportunities and greater income, despite the investments made. The keys to satisfaction in health expenditures are to prioritize expenses and invest in health spending wisely, in order to avoid the common disappointing outcomes of so many modern therapies.
In summery, I suggest that all patients first consciously acknowledge their worry if they are having financial troubles and definitely do not suppress or repress the stresses and anxieties inherent to economic struggle. Next, look for ways to get free coverage or reduced cost coverage for needed treatments, medications and evaluations. If this is not an option, then consider investments made in your own health to be not only needed, but also the best expenditures you can make. After all, if you are not healthy, then you will not be happy, regardless of how much “stuff” you buy or how much money you spend on less meaningful possessions.
