Infectious diseases cost the U.S. $120 billion each year. In times of economic woes, here are a few simple tips to save money while treating and preventing infectious diseases.
- Wash your hands with soap. Did you know that hand washing with soap is the most cost effective method of health intervention? According to globalhandwashing.org, a $3.35 investment in handwashing is equivalent to spending $11 on building a toilet, $200 in supplying clean water, and thousands of dollars in immunizations. A bar of soap is not cost-prohibitive either, as most homes already have soap for other household purposes.
- Buy generic drugs. A generic drug is just as safe and effective as a brand-name drug, but costs less because the manufacturer does not have to pay for research, development, marketing, or promotion of the drug. When new drugs are first placed on the market, they are usually patented, which means that no one else can make the same drug for a given period of time. When the patent expires on that drug, generic drug manufacturers can start selling their product at competitively lower prices.
- Ask your pharmacist how much the drug costs without insurance. For many prescription drugs, including antibiotics, the actual cost is actually less than your co-pay. Most people spend about $15-20 co-pay for their prescription drugs. But depending on the drug, the actual cost for a prescription may actually be less than $10! If your co-pay is more than the drug cost, just buy the prescription at cost and save a few bucks!
- Eat in. Did you know that almost 50% of the money spent by Americans on food is used on dining out? More than 40% of foodborne outbreaks between 1993 and 1997 were attributed to restaurant dining. In a study of 167,574 restaurant inspections in Tennessee, 44% had at least one critical violation defined as a substantial public health hazard. Food preparation at home is both more economical and less likely to cause disease, as long as you use proper food preparation and dining practices.
- Don’t skimp on immunizations. Consider them a long-term investment. If you skip an immunization now, you will probably pay for it later—both in terms of health and costs for hospitalization, doctors visits, and treatments. For example, the chicken pox vaccine has saved the U.S. nearly $100 million in hospitalization costs each year!
Sources:
Generic Drugs Q&A. US FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Davis MM, et al. Decline in varicella-related hospitalizations and expenditures for children and adults after introduction of varicella vaccine in the United States. Pediatrics. 2004; 114:786.
Jones TF et al. Restaurant Inspection Scores and Foodborne Disease. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2004 Apr. Accessed October 17, 2008.
The Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap.
