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50+ ways you can save 
Educate yourself
Invest in your health by becoming information-rich. Read publications about health care. Pay special attention to free wellness publications like Inside Mayo Clinic. Or keep on hand a book on medical self-care, like The AAFP Family Health and Medical Guide and The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. A wealth of information is also available on the Internet.
Call toll-free health care hotlines
Once again the U.S. Government comes through by providing a number of toll-free health care information phone services. Topics are numerous, including hearing aids, cancer information, Alzheimer's disease, drugs and pregnancy issues.
For information on the health topics and phone numbers, call the National Health Information Center at 800-336-4797.
Take advantage of free health advice
For free information booklets from the U.S. government about nearly every health care topic you can imagine, simply write to the Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado. The government offers several dozen booklets on topics ranging from nutrition, medical problems, mental health, to drugs, exercise and weight control.
To receive a catalog explaining these booklets, write to:
Consumer Information Center
PO Box 100
Pueblo, CO 81009
You can also download booklets at www.pueblo.gsa.gov »
Buckle up for safety
If you or a family member has a car accident, numerous studies show that seat belts often can protect you completely, and in severe accidents they can save your life.
Seat belts also save you substantial dollars. In one Massachusetts study of hospitalized auto accident victims, those who hadn't buckled up paid an average of $1,253 in hospital bills, while those who had buckled up paid only $556. Added savings also come from your auto insurance, which charges you more if you do not wear a seat belt.
Brush up on first-aid skills.
Proper treatment of various accidents may reduce the number of visits to the doctor, and can save lives in an emergency. It's important to always keep an updated medical kit in your home or office.
Here are the basics for your first-aid kit:
• A roll of 3-inch wide gauze
• Individually packaged 4-inch sterile gauze pads
• A roll of 1-inch bandage tape
• Butterfly bandage tape
• Scissors
• Elastic bandages
• Cotton swabs
• Sterile dressings or towels
• Pain reliever (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
• Anti-inflammatory medicine (ibuprofen)
• Ipecac syrup (to induce vomiting when advised to do so)
• Tweezers
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Skin creams, hydrocortisone, calamine and antibiotic creams
• An antihistamine (diphenhydramine for allergic reactions)
• Flashlight
• Eyepatch
• Arm sling
• Tongue depressors (to be used as a finger splint)
• Ice pack
• Re-hydration fluids (Pedialyte, Infalyte etc.)
Keep your home safe!
Every year, far more people are killed in accidents right at home than in car accidents. A little money spent on accident prevention can save thousands of dollars — and possibly the lives of family members.
To prevent falls, make sure the stairways are adequately lit, with nonskid stair surfaces and handrails. Bathtubs should have no slip surfaces or bath mats, and rugs on the bathroom floor should have nonskid backings. Area rugs throughout the house should have nonskid backings or should be anchored to the floor with double sided or masking tape.
Here are some tips for preventing fires:
• Place smoke detectors on each floor and in hallways, 10 feet from
bedroom doors.
• Never store gasoline or highly flammable liquids inside your house.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on every floor.
• Purchase a carbon monoxide detector for your home to alert you of
poisonous gases.
• Watch space heater use, carefully.
To prevent poisoning, keep medicines and cleaning supplies where children cannot reach them. Keep all medications in their original containers, and don't give prescription drugs to anyone other than the person they were prescribed for.
For your back health: Prevent injuries
Each year, millions of people suffer painful back injuries. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of doctors' or chiropractors' treatments by following these tips to avoid back injury:
• Bend at the knees when lifting heavy objects.
• Keep within the recommended weight range for your height and build.
• Any extra weight, especially in the stomach area, can put undue strain on
your back.
Take a lifestyle approach to wellness — every day
Take charge of your health by making simple changes in your lifestyle. By following these seven basic rules of good health, you'll improve your chances of living a long, healthy, active life.
• Get eight hours of sleep per night.
• Eat breakfast every morning.
• Cut down on snacks between meals.
• Keep within 10 pounds of your recommended weight range.
• Exercise aerobically at least 30 minutes three times per week.
• Don't smoke.
• Don't drink more than two alcoholic beverages per day.
• Take recommended dosages of vitamins and supplements.
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