Staying Healthy Is Expensive. So Why Does the System Still Reward Illness?
Let me start by saying this is not a perspective from an insurance agent, financial planner, or healthcare provider. This is purely a reflection from someone living within the system, paying for it and trying to make sense of it.
Because in my opinion, the reality looks like this, even if you don't fully agree with me:
Health screening? Expensive.
Healthy food? Expensive.
Gym memberships / personal training? Expensive.
Health supplements? Expensive.
Insurance premiums? Increasing year on year.
And yet, when it comes to actually using insurance, many of the things that help us stay healthy aren't claimable at all.
When Prevention Becomes Personal
This realisation became even more apparent as I started paying closer attention to my own health, particularly in this phase of life.
Perimenopause is not a disease, but it is a transition that affects energy, sleep, mood, metabolism, and overall wellbeing.
Managing it often involves regular monitoring, follow-up consultations with specialist doctors, hormonal support, and lifestyle adjustments. None of which are typically considered "claimable".
So here lies the disconnect: you are not sick, but you are also not entirely "fine". And the system, as it stands, does not quite know what to do with that in-between space.
The System Isn't Designed for Prevention
Most insurance systems are built around a very specific idea: you can only claim after something has gone wrong, which means you can claim when you are diagnosed with a disease, when treatment becomes necessary, and when treatment costs become significant.
Which also means you cannot claim when you are trying to detect problems early, manage long-term health proactively, or reduce future risks.
In other words, the system is designed for intervention, not prevention, and this creates a strange paradox.
The Prevention Paradox
From a logical standpoint, prevention makes sense. Like this: early detection → simpler treatment → lower cost → fewer large claims
So in theory, encouraging preventive care should benefit both individuals and insurers. But in practice, preventive care sits outside the system.
Why? Because preventive care requires upfront spending, doesn't guarantee immediate outcomes, and is harder to standardise across populations. Whereas treatment is clearly defined, measurable, and easier to price and insure.
So instead of a system that rewards staying well, we end up with one that primarily responds to illness.
The Real Cost of "Staying Healthy"
What many of us are experiencing today is a shift. Health is no longer just about treating disease.
It's about maintaining metabolic health, hormonal balance, mental wellbeing, and long-term quality of life.
But maintaining all of this often comes with out-of-pocket costs. And over time, it starts to feel like, "I'm paying to stay healthy… and I'm still paying in case I get sick."
That double layer of cost is where the frustration comes from.
So What Can We Do Within the Limits of the System?
Well, the system won't change overnight, but I guess how we respond to it can. Instead of viewing this as an either-or situation, i.e., "insurance or prevention", it's more helpful to see them as two separate roles.
Insurance as Protection, Not Everyday Use
Insurance should be best understood as protection against catastrophic events, i.e., the unexpected, high-cost situations that we cannot plan for. It's not designed to cover routine health maintenance.
Prevention as Personal Investment
Preventive care, which includes health screenings, supplements, and gym sessions, becomes a form of long-term investment in quality of life, especially in life stages like perimenopause, where the goal is not just to treat illness but to maintain stability and function.
Be Selective, Not Exhaustive
Not every supplement, test, or trend is necessary. Focusing on evidence-based screenings, essential lifestyle habits, and medically guided interventions can help reduce unnecessary spending.
Create a "Health Fund" Mindset
Instead of reacting to costs, I read that some people allocate a specific budget for health maintenance, treating it as a planned expense rather than a recurring frustration.
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A System That Hasn't Caught Up (Yet)
Healthcare systems around the world are slowly shifting toward prevention. But change takes time.
In the meantime, some of us are navigating this in-between space. We are more aware of our health than ever before but still operating within systems designed for a different era.
The reality is, taking care of our health today requires both protection for the unexpected
and intentional investment in the everyday.
This is not a conclusion from the industry. It is a perspective from someone living within it.
It may not feel fair. But it is, for now, the reality we work within. And perhaps the real shift is this: not waiting for the system to reward prevention, but choosing it anyway.
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