A positive outlook can prolong your life. That’s the conclusion of a study on optimism–the general expectation that good things will happen–in a group of men and women.
Women who are optimists are 50% more likely to live to at least 85, while optimistic men are 70% more likely to have long lives, explains Lewina Lee, lead researcher and psychiatry professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, where the study was conducted.
In some ways, this new research rounds out other studies, which had already concluded that optimists are less likely to develop chronic medical conditions (which, on its own, can prolong your life) or suffer premature death.
Optimism is apparently 25% genetic–we carry it in our genes from our parents. However, experts believe that this feature can also be acquired through mental exercises, such as by imagining a future in which you have achieved your goals.
To reach the conclusion that optimism is key for a long and healthy life, the Boston researchers analyzed 70,000 women over a decade, and 1,700 men over 30 years.
Although there’s still much to learn about the mysteries of optimism, one thing is clear: having it as a personality trait is not the only reason why we might live longer.
Access to health care plays a key role in making longevity a reality. This was confirmed by a study at the Stanford University Clinical Excellence Research Center that analyzed the opposite result: not receiving health care can lead to premature death.
If optimists–and pessimists, keep on reading!–receive their vaccines, undergo preventative testing, and have a health plan that allows them to access health care whenever they need it, the chances of tacking on quality years to their life multiply.
There are many reasons why having health insurance can help everyone. Below are six key reasons why you should have health coverage:
1) Astronomical bills. Health insurance can be pricey, but not having it can be even more so. An accident, fracture, diagnosis of a heart condition, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, skin rash, asthma attack, or your child falling from their bike can all result in unexpected visits to the doctor and a mountain of difficult-to-pay medical bills.
2) Payment assistance. Your health insurance will cover the cost of preventative medical care and other general medical expenses once your reach your deductible (what you need to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance company will start to pay).
3) Family prevention. When all the members of your family have health insurance, they tend to receive more preventative care, attend yearly checkups, and receive flu and other mandatory vaccines. If you have a medical emergency or situation and don’t have health insurance, you will likely end up in the emergency room, which is much more expensive–either for you, if you are able to pay the bill, or for the hospital, if it needs to cover this cost.
4) Free care. When you have health insurance, by law you can receive vaccines and preventative care free of charge, even before you reach your deductible.
5) Belonging to a network. When you have insurance, you pay less when you receive care from health care providers that are part of your health plan’s network, even before you reach your deductible.
6) Group benefit. When a person pays for health insurance, the money from their premiums goes to a type of common fund that the insurance company uses to cover the medical expenses of its members. A healthy person costs less–and, of course, a person with medical conditions, more. This balance, which is in constant fluctuation since healthy people can get sick, helps prevent premiums (monthly payments) from going up, in addition to contributing to everyone’s health and wellbeing.
