Isn’t It Ironic? Health Insurance Premiums vs. Health Club Dues

I just received a letter from my health insurance company that begins by thanking me in bold letters for continuing to choose them as my health insurer. Of course, it then proceeded to tell me that my premiums will be going up by almost 25%, in spite of the fact that I am in excellent health and never use my insurance for anything other than an annual physical exam. I thought it was interesting that they would just presume that I am going to continue to choose them by thanking me in advance.

There are now three things that are certain in life: death, taxes and health insurance premiums. It’s part of the requirement of simply being a human being. The thought of not having health insurance is too scary to consider when the “What If’s” start playing in your head. What if I have a heart attack? What if I get cancer? Etc. Etc. So, because we are forced to live under the fear of the “What If’s”, health insurance is all-but-mandatory living expense.

What if you could take the money you spend on health insurance premiums and invest it in a gym membership or personal training? Can you imagine how great it would be to have $500 to spend on fitness every month? What if hiring a personal trainer and having access to a health club were considered mandatory living expenses like health insurance is? Imagine living in a society and a country of healthy, fit people who have conquered obesity and are putting their money towards maintaining and improving health instead of treating chronic illness.

Sadly, health club memberships and personal training services seem to be the opposite of mandatory for most people and as a result we have an obese society. The money spent on joining a gym or hiring a trainer is considered an extravagant expense for most people. Trying to convince them that their health is at risk and that they seriously need to start exercising is an exercise in frustration. Many times the people who need it the most are ones who are the most resistant to joining a gym or hiring a trainer.

In response to this resistance, the sales people at health clubs are often highly-trained in overcoming objections, finding emotional hot-buttons and using them to seal the deal and sell memberships. But why should selling health and fitness have to be so manipulative? Why do people have to be convinced of the value of health? Without health, nothing else matters, so it seems counter-intuitive that anyone would need to be persuaded to be healthy, even if it means spending some money to do it.

In this day and age, when obesity is an epidemic, shouldn’t the health clubs and trainers be thriving, instead of the insurance companies? Isn’t it ironic that we are required to have tremendously costly health insurance coverage, but no similar requirement to be healthy or strive for a healthy lifestyle? Isn’t it ironic that we are required to have health insurance in anticipation of getting sick, but no requirement to do anything to reduce the chances of getting sick? Isn’t it ironic that health clubs must use manipulative tactics to sell memberships, but health insurance companies get to just send you a letter thanking you for your continued financial support.