THE COST OF WAITING
Why preventing diabetes is one of the best financial decisions a Filipino family can make
By the H&L Editorial Team
When families think about healthy eating and regular checkups, they often think about the cost. Brown rice is pricier than white. Vegetables cost more than instant noodles. A checkup means a day off work.
But compare those costs with the bill that comes when metabolic syndrome is left to run its course.
The price of complications
Once diabetes and its complications set in, the costs multiply:
• Lifelong medicines for sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Regular laboratory tests and doctor visits.
• Hospitalization for heart attack, stroke, infections or foot ulcers.
• Dialysis for kidney failure — often several sessions a week, for years.
• Lost income when a breadwinner can no longer work, or a family member must stop working to become a caregiver.
The IDF estimates that diabetes-related health spending in the Philippines reached more than US$2 billion in 2024 — about US$454 per person with diabetes. For a family, a single complication can wipe out years of savings.
The price of prevention
By comparison, prevention is cheap:
• A tape measure to check your waist.
• An annual checkup with fasting blood sugar, lipid profile and blood pressure.
• Walking, which is free.
• Water instead of soft drinks, which actually saves money.
• Home-cooked meals with more vegetables, often cheaper than fast food and processed snacks.
Use what’s already available
• PhilHealth YAKAP. PhilHealth’s primary care package covers consultations, indicated laboratory tests and 21 essential medicines — including metformin, gliclazide, simvastatin, amlodipine, losartan, enalapril, metoprolol and hydrochlorothiazide — at accredited clinics where you’re registered. Ask your nearest PhilHealth office or check which clinics are accredited in your area.
• Barangay health centers for free blood pressure checks and screening programs.
• Generic medicines, which can cost much less than branded versions with the same active ingredient.
• Company annual physical exams. Don’t just file the results away. Read them, and act on anything “borderline.”
Budget for health the way you budget for anything important
• Set aside a small monthly amount for checkups and medicines.
• Plan grocery lists around vegetables, fish, eggs and legumes.
• Cut spending on soft drinks, milk tea and fast food, and redirect it to healthier options.
• Keep your PhilHealth contributions up to date.
Do the math: If your household spends P100 a day on soft drinks, milk tea and sweet snacks, that’s about P36,000 a year — enough to cover several years of checkups and a good pair of walking shoes.
This article is for general information only and is not financial advice.
“Prevention costs a tape measure, a yearly checkup and a daily walk. Waiting can cost a kidney, a career, or a family’s savings.”
Leave a Reply