怎样为家庭减少医疗费用

How Your Family Can Reduce Health Care Costs

怎样为家庭减少医疗费用

The fact that health care costs are rising is undeniable. It can make you feel rather helpless, in fact, as you consider how pricey everything is, from a check-up to cancer treatments. But there are ways you can reduce health care costs, both in your own family and in general society. Here are some tips.

医疗成本一直在上升是一件不可否认的事实。想想检查癌症需要的治疗费用，每一项都是那么昂贵，让人感觉到很无助。但也有一下办法可以降低医疗保健成本，它既适用于个别家庭也适用于社会大众。以下是一些小建议。

Emergency Room Is for Emergencies

急诊室是为紧急情况准备的

Some families do not have a “family doctor” or physician whom they turn to when a family member is sick with a non-life-threatening illness. So when someone in the family has a cold, or vague symptoms of any sort, or even a mild accident, they go to the emergency room. ERs across the country are clogged with non-emergency demands of this nature. Repetitive use of the ER has become such a bad problem that some areas of the country have enacted laws to crack down on the practice.

当家庭成员得了没有生命危险的疾病时，有一些家庭没有可以直接求助的家庭医生或内科医师。所以当家里有人感冒了，或有了任何形式的模糊症状，甚至轻微的事故，他们都会去急诊室。全国各地急诊室都被这种性质的非紧急需求塞满了。重复使用急诊室已成为了一个非常糟糕的问题，致使国家某些地区已经通过制定法律来打击这种行为。

The ER is for a situation where it’s a true emergency or suspected emergency, such as difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, or a severe accident. Going to a local clinic or doctor is a more effective way to treat non-emergency illnesses in the family. It saves costs for everyone.

急诊室是为真的需要急诊或疑似急诊(的情况)准备的，如呼吸困难、有中风的迹象或严重的事故。家庭成员去找当地的小诊所或医生，对治疗非紧急疾病来说更有效率。它能为大家都节省成本。

Cost Compare

成本对比

Do you actually know what a doctor or hospital charges for a particular procedure? Many of us have forgotten the consumer role we have in purchasing our own health care. Before you have a procedure done, call around and find out what various hospitals and/or doctors charge for it. Even something like x-rays can vary significantly in cost, as can more advanced procedures like CAT scans.

你真的知道医生或医院为什么对某个特定的程序收费?许多人已经忘记了，我们在购买医疗保健时应该扮演的消费者角色。在完成一个治疗之前，四处打打电话找出不同医院或医生收费的不同之处。即使像x射线这样的治疗在成本上也会有很大差距，而像CAT扫描这些高级的治疗差距则可能更大。

Take Care of Yourself

要自己照顾好自己

It’s amazing how often we overlook the connection between our personal lifestyle practices and our health, and then further overlook the connection between our lifestyle practices and the costs of health care. But the simple truth is, if your family takes care of themselves by eating right and exercising, the chances of a severe illness setting in are greatly reduced.

令人惊讶的是我们常常忽视我们个人的生活行为和我们的健康之间的联系，然后进一步忽视我们的生活行为和医疗保健成本之间的联系。不过一个很简单的事实是，如果你的家庭能通过适当的饮食和锻炼照顾好自己，那你们得严重疾病的可能性将大大减少。

Taking vitamins may also help keep illnesses at bay, from the common cold to depression. Eating healthy fats and focusing mainly on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins can go a long way toward keeping your family healthy. Embark on a family fitness program to boost everyone’s health and reduce costs even more.

服用维生素也可以帮助阻止疾病的发生，小到普通感冒大到抑郁症。健康食用脂肪，主食蔬菜、水果、全谷物和瘦蛋白等食物对保持你和家人的长久健康意义远大。着手设立一个家庭健身计划来提高每个人的健康会降低更多成本。

Don’t Smoke

不要吸烟

If you do smoke, quitting is a victory both for you and for the overburdened, economically-strapped health care system. Even better, don’t start!

如果你吸烟，戒烟对你和不堪重负、经济拮据的健康系统来说，都是一个的巨大成功。当然最好是一开始就不要吸烟!