Prediction: “Worry-itis” and its close cousin, anxiety, will become the top medical condition of 2017

Do You Have “Worry-itis?”

Since the presidential election have you been feeling stressed and anxious? Have you been experiencing headaches, back pain, irritability, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, ulcers, and depression? Are you starting to wonder what will happen to your health care coverage and insurance plan?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then you’ve got “Worry-itis,” which I predict will become the most commonly diagnosed condition in 2017.

What is “Worry-itis?”

Worry-itis, like its close cousin anxiety, is what you “catch” when you feel out of control about your future and there are no answers in sight.

And even though Worry-itis is a condition I’ve made up, stress and the problems associated with it are entirely real. Already the American Psychological Association reports that more than half of Americans are experiencing significant stress since the election. 

Even “The Experts” Don’t Know What Will Happen To Health Care

Many Americans are asking ‘What will become of my healthcare?’ And while there are lots of concrete questions, there are not many great answers:

·        My daughter has leukemia (or asthma or bipolar disease, or fill in the blank). Will she still be covered under my plan? …Who knows, it’s hard to say.

·       I’m on a fixed income. Will my medications cost more? Hard to know although we expect prescription drug prices will rise by at least 10%.

·        What will happen to contraceptive and family planning services? No one knows, but some predict you might need to get your care in another state.

·        What will happen to health insurance prices? That is a great question, again who knows but expect it to go up in price with less coverage.

·        I run a hospital. Will I be providing more uncompensated care? Well, policy and think tank organizations like Rand Corp, Center for Health and Economy, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Congressional Budget Office are expecting between 18-30 million people will become uninsured and will lose their coverage if the ACA is repealed.

 The Future of “DIY” for Health Care

Since Worry-itis stems from uncertainty, the “cure” is to make the future more predictable. 

I predict that 2017 will bring the rise of the “DIY Healthcare.” Just like Home Depot wants you to “DIY” your kitchen remodel, in the Healthcare DIY Marketplace, you’ll be able to price-shop doctors, quality-check hospitals and find the lowest cost medications.

And while all these services are available now, I predict that more of us will find ways to take charge and “Do It Yourself” in three specific areas:

Number 1. Alternative Insurance Markets That Let You DIY

The first DIY alternative is to look to small, innovative insurance groups (like Oscar) where you can shop, “build” your specific coverage plan and buy insurance online and for not much money. Microinsurance is low-cost insurance based on a community or cooperative arrangement, and already making a big splash with the Millennials. Lloyds of London places the potential market for microinsurance in the ballpark of 3 billion policies. 

Number 2. Online “Priceline-Like” Pharmaceutical Centers to Buy Medications

Just as you can comparison shop hotel prices for the lowest fair, you can now go on-line to buy prescription medications at the lowest price. This second DIY health option is to look to online companies that allow you to price-compare and then buy the best-priced medication. (Look to sites like Gooru and Goodrx).

Number 3. Traditional Care Delivered in Non-Traditional Settings

Physician fees and hospital fees account for 60% of your total healthcare bill so consider getting healthcare in community clinics or health centers rather than in doctor’s offices or urgent care centers. The third DIY option is to consider getting your care in one of these clinics, where the care is going to cost you 40% less in some cases. 

Also consider going out of the country for a big operation to cut costs by half or more. Lots of people do it now with over 2 million people headed overseas for operations. And many overseas hospitals are held to the same standards we use here at home.

Plan on Spending 2-3 Hours Per Week on Your Health Care

But if all this sound like it’s going to take a lot of time, count on it. I predict that all of us are going to spend 2-3 hours per week finding the lowest priced medications, researching low-cost but high-quality places to get our gallbladder removed or tonsils taken out, and finding doctors that don’t charge “an arm and a leg” to get treated for the winter flu or sprained ankle.  

My Promise To You

2017 promises to be a lot of things, but what I can promise you is that if you can embrace the above--meaning if you can embrace trying different solutions and trying new ways of getting your care and welcoming new ways of paying for your medication then I think you’ll feel better. And you’ll feel better because you’ll be in charge and in control. And being in charge and in control will cure your Worry-itis.

This article is part of the LinkedIn Top Voices list, a collection of the must-read writers of the year. Check out more #BigIdeas2017 here.

Julie Kliger is passionate about improving health care. She is a consultant, author and speaker. She specializes in healthcare quality, organizational change and improvement.