The One Investment That Pays Off in Every Decade: Your Health

The One Investment That Pays Off In Every Decade: Your Health

When most people think of health insurance, they think of coverage for emergencies, prescriptions, hospital stays, and surgeries. But the truth is, the most powerful form of health protection doesn't come from a card in your wallet—it comes from the choices you make every day. That's why prevention isn't just wise; it's affordable, effective, and life-enhancing.

Treatment vs. Prevention: A Question of Quality of Life

Our medical system is designed to treat illness, not prevent it. And while we thank God for breakthroughs in medicine, many treatments come with serious side effects—and sometimes, we find out years later that the so-called "cure" did more harm than good. But by then, you’re a statistic.

That’s why quality of life matters. You could have all the money in the world to afford a cure, but if you never get sick in the first place, that’s a far better outcome. Take the case of the man who received a routine injection in his back and ended up paralyzed. He won a large financial settlement—but would likely trade every dollar just to walk again.

Prevention Is Cheaper Than Prescription

Healthy living saves money. Some medications are so expensive that they drain family savings in just months. And in the U.S., we often pay more for the same exact drugs than people in other countries—even when those drugs were invented here.

In contrast, the cost of prevention is low: a walk around the block, fresh vegetables, stress management, hydration, rest. These things are simple, but they pay off exponentially.

Aging Well: Your Retirement Depends on It

People are living longer than ever—and that means retirement savings have to stretch farther than ever. The two biggest unknowns in retirement are taxes and inflation. We can’t control those things. But we can control our lifestyle.

You don’t want to build a huge nest egg only to have it drained by health issues that might have been avoidable. As the old saying goes, "We spend our health to gain wealth in our youth, and then spend our wealth to recover our health in old age."

Another saying hits just as hard: "Eat your food like medicine now, or you’ll eat your medicine like food later."

I once worked with an older woman who took a handful of pills every day with a Coke. She wasn’t hungry after that. That image stuck with me.

Health Over Wealth: A Better Return on Investment

Healthy living doesn’t mean you never need health insurance. Accidents happen. Genetic conditions occur. But people who live well tend to recover faster and live longer with better mobility and strength.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that "it is appointed unto men once to die..." We all have an appointment. But there’s a difference between living out your full time in vitality versus being confined to a bed, attended to by nurses in a sterile hospital.

Holistic health is about giving yourself the best chance to enjoy the time you have. Because if you do live to your full appointed time, you’ll want to spend your final years coming and going as you please—not tethered to machines and pills.

Even for hereditary conditions, prevention matters. You may not be able to stop the diagnosis, but you may live longer with it, or even outlive it.

Living for a Better Day

We live in an era of remarkable innovation. Between AI and DNA science, cures are emerging for diseases we never thought would be treatable. Just look at sickle cell disease. A functional cure exists today. It’s expensive now, but it’s real—and that means more hope for tomorrow.

Healthy living isn’t just about avoiding disease. It’s about outlasting it long enough for a cure to arrive.

So yes—have your insurance. Take your medicine. Get vaccinated when needed.

But don’t add to the risk. Don’t speed up the clock. Give yourself the best chance to live well, live strong, and live long.

Because prevention isn’t just the best health insurance—it might just be the best legacy you leave behind.