With health care costs rising much faster than the general rate of inflation, it is vital that we do everything in our power to keep the costs for our own family as low as possible. There are many areas that are within our control, so take advantage of all of them.

Here are some suggestions:

-If you don’t already have a family doctor or nurse-practitioner, find one. Trips to the emergency room are expensive, and may not be necessary if you have a relationship with a health-care provider. Call several doctors’ offices in your area to find out who is taking new patients, and schedule a visit with one of them.

-Take advantage of all free health-care screenings provided in your town. Free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, mammograms, and other services are often available once or twice a year. Call your county health department to see when these screenings will be available, and take the whole family!

-If you are ill and the doctor prescribes medicine, explain that your finances are tight and you want the lowest cost drug that will help you. Ask if the doctor has free samples. They often do, and may give you as much as you need.

-If you smoke, stop. If you can’t motivate yourself, call the American Lung Association for assistance. As a last resort, sit down and write your own obituary, assuming you died today of a heart attack or stroke. List your survivors and then stop and think how their lives would be without you. Think about all the events in their lives that you won’t want to miss, such as graduations, weddings, grandchildren, etc. Carry a copy of your obituary with you at all times, and take it out and read it whenever you crave a cigarette.

-Call a family meeting to discuss ways to be healthier. Even if you have never had a family meeting before, explain to everyone that money spent on doctors and medicine is money that won’t be available for family fun, so it is important to get everyone’s commitment to healthy habits. Ask for everyone’s suggestions, and write them down. Even 3 or 4 year old children may surprise you with their ideas! Schedule a family meeting once a week to see how everyone is doing. Here are some of my ideas that you might want to cover with your own family:

-Make sure everyone knows to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing

-Discuss the importance of hand washing, and the proper way to wash. Most germs are spread by the hands. Use plenty of soap, and wash long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song or one verse of Old McDonald Had a Farm.

-Make sure everyone in the family gets plenty of vitamin C every day. An orange or a small glass of pure orange juice will help the immune system fight illness. A diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free dairy products will help the body resist disease.

-If your family members are overweight, do something about it. Stop frying your foods and switch to baking or other healthier cooking methods. Turn off the TV during dinner and get to know each other. Plan two healthy snacks a day for everyone to avoid snacking on junk food. Put sensible portions of food on everyone’s plates instead of serving family-style, and eat slowly. Follow the USDA food pyramid suggestions when planning your family’s meals.

-Exercise is also very important for a healthy body. Take the whole family for a walk every day, or just get out and shoot hoops, play freeze tag, throw a Frisbee, ride your bikes, or whatever you like to do. If the weather is bad, put on some music and dance, or work out to an exercise video. Take turns letting each family member choose the exercise activity for the day, and get everyone to agree to do the chosen activity without complaining.

-Get flu shots and any other necessary preventive care.

-Make sure everyone gets enough sleep. Children need 9 hours or more every night, and adults usually need 7-8 hours. If your children are involved in too many outside activities, eliminate the ones they enjoy the least. A rested body fights illness better than a tired body.

Be proactive about your family’s health, and you can save big money on your health care expenses!!

Bev Grey is author of the new book "The Project", and founder of Grandma's Healthy Kids Club, an in-home program to help children improve their eating and exercise habits or lose weight safely.

Bev Grey may be contacted at http://www.grandmashealthykidsclub.com or info@grandmashealthykidsclub.com