[Expert Views] Why health insurance should be your priority?

We are here with our next guest blog, and we had the pleasure of talking to Dr. Andrew Merrill, the Founder and Clinic Director of Nightlight Chiropractic. A 2006 Magna Cum Laude Graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida. With professional experience ranging from treating impoverished children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to treating athletes from the NFL, NBA, PGA Tours, and the Dew Action sports tour, Dr. Merrill has successfully treated tens of thousands of patients with the drug-free approach, sparing unnecessary surgery. 

Let’s read Dr. Merrill’s thoughts on the importance of health insurance and some interesting hacks to maintain a good posture that will help you stay fit in the long run. 

Question 1: According to you, how important is health insurance in leading a healthy lifestyle?

Dr. Merrill’s response: Back when I started practicing in 2006, I used to take the attitude that insurance was less important than maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  I’m shocked at what 15 years in private practice can change. Having seen dozens of patients literally give up on their health due to costs I can definitively say that health insurance is AN ESSENTIAL PART of leading a healthy lifestyle in the United States.  Considering the financial burden that can occur when the unexpected health issue arises, it becomes as integral as prevention (which I still consider a cornerstone of health) when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

Question 2: How does chiropractic treatment help in pain relief and optimum fitness? 

Dr. Merrill’s response: Chiropractic as a profession is now 125 years old and continues to churn out research proving it to be a very effective tool for reducing pain. In the past 15 years, the Opioid epidemic has raised the stakes and pushed chiropractic even further into the mainstream as another approach to pain management that doesn’t rely on drugs.  The American Medical Association has added support for chiropractic by calling it a “first line of defense” for individuals struggling with back and neck pain.

Along the same lines, optimum fitness can’t be achieved if the body is in a state of pain.  Often, individuals will start their journey toward better physical fitness at our office where we identify areas of concern and possible causes of pain that might derail their exercise routines and slow their results.  Ultimately, exercise plus healthy eating plus good sleep are the most important big picture items to fitness.  But by reinforcing all three at my office, we perform a better service than just a chiropractic adjustment ever could.  

Question 3: Do you think health insurance eases people’s finances in getting chiropractic treatment? How? 

Dr. Merrill’s response: We accept almost every insurance we’ve ever come across at my office. The reason for this is that we support patients taking the initiative to have insurance in the first place AND we want you to get benefit out of your hard-earned money going toward your health. While some insurances provide more care and a better fee schedule toward chiropractic care than others, I have never EVER come across an insurance plan that didn’t make good financial sense for the patient. Although at my office we strive to give the patient the best care in the shortest amount of time, occasionally it takes longer than expected and insurance often prevents patients from going into debt to pay for their care. Also, diagnostic imaging such as an MRI continues to be an expensive but necessary test to ensure a proper diagnosis. Insurance makes a test like an MRI much less expensive.

Question 4: Please share 1 best practice and 1 hack in helping people live a fit and healthy lifestyle. 

Dr. Merrill’s response: The one best practice that I talk about frequently with my patients is making sure you are “looking up” at your work.  I see so many patients who have a poor posture because their head has moved forward due to too much time spent on a laptop or texting. You need to make sure that you are having to look up to see whatever screen you are working on at work which often means raising your monitor. If you have a laptop, buy an external keyboard and mouse so you can position your laptop stacked on books or a riser and still type and move the cursor with your hands down.

If you find that you already have a bad posture due to your head being forward MY BEST HACK In helping people is called “water bottle traction”!  Very simple to do, you’ll start with a 16.9 oz plastic full room temperature water bottle (the kind you buy in a case i.e. Publix, Dasani, nestle). Lay it sideways on a carpeted floor and then lay down on your back with the water bottle under your neck.  If you’re doing it correctly your head should still touch the floor and you should feel a slight pressure as if your neck was being pressed toward the ceiling.  Just laying there and focusing on your breathing for 5 to 10 minutes every evening will help to rebuild the curvature in your neck and “fix” your posture.  

We thank Dr. Andrew Merrill for his valuable time and for sharing his thoughts with us. 

Health insurance is crucial to your health and wellness. Make the most of your money by investing in things that matter the most. Call us at 866-261-7104 to speak to one of our licensed agents and get a free, quality, personalized consultation.

We are here with our next guest blog, and we had the pleasure of talking to Dr. Andrew Merrill, the Founder and Clinic Director of Nightlight Chiropractic. A 2006 Magna Cum Laude Graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida. With professional experience ranging from treating impoverished children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to treating athletes from the NFL, NBA, PGA Tours, and the Dew Action sports tour, Dr. Merrill has successfully treated tens of thousands of patients with the drug-free approach, sparing unnecessary surgery. 

Let’s read Dr. Merrill’s thoughts on the importance of health insurance and some interesting hacks to maintain a good posture that will help you stay fit in the long run. 

Question 1: According to you, how important is health insurance in leading a healthy lifestyle?

Dr. Merrill’s response: Back when I started practicing in 2006, I used to take the attitude that insurance was less important than maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  I’m shocked at what 15 years in private practice can change. Having seen dozens of patients literally give up on their health due to costs I can definitively say that health insurance is AN ESSENTIAL PART of leading a healthy lifestyle in the United States.  Considering the financial burden that can occur when the unexpected health issue arises, it becomes as integral as prevention (which I still consider a cornerstone of health) when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

Question 2: How does chiropractic treatment help in pain relief and optimum fitness? 

Dr. Merrill’s response: Chiropractic as a profession is now 125 years old and continues to churn out research proving it to be a very effective tool for reducing pain. In the past 15 years, the Opioid epidemic has raised the stakes and pushed chiropractic even further into the mainstream as another approach to pain management that doesn’t rely on drugs.  The American Medical Association has added support for chiropractic by calling it a “first line of defense” for individuals struggling with back and neck pain.

Along the same lines, optimum fitness can’t be achieved if the body is in a state of pain.  Often, individuals will start their journey toward better physical fitness at our office where we identify areas of concern and possible causes of pain that might derail their exercise routines and slow their results.  Ultimately, exercise plus healthy eating plus good sleep are the most important big picture items to fitness.  But by reinforcing all three at my office, we perform a better service than just a chiropractic adjustment ever could.  

Question 3: Do you think health insurance eases people’s finances in getting chiropractic treatment? How? 

Dr. Merrill’s response: We accept almost every insurance we’ve ever come across at my office. The reason for this is that we support patients taking the initiative to have insurance in the first place AND we want you to get benefit out of your hard-earned money going toward your health. While some insurances provide more care and a better fee schedule toward chiropractic care than others, I have never EVER come across an insurance plan that didn’t make good financial sense for the patient. Although at my office we strive to give the patient the best care in the shortest amount of time, occasionally it takes longer than expected and insurance often prevents patients from going into debt to pay for their care. Also, diagnostic imaging such as an MRI continues to be an expensive but necessary test to ensure a proper diagnosis. Insurance makes a test like an MRI much less expensive.

Question 4: Please share 1 best practice and 1 hack in helping people live a fit and healthy lifestyle. 

Dr. Merrill’s response: The one best practice that I talk about frequently with my patients is making sure you are “looking up” at your work.  I see so many patients who have a poor posture because their head has moved forward due to too much time spent on a laptop or texting. You need to make sure that you are having to look up to see whatever screen you are working on at work which often means raising your monitor. If you have a laptop, buy an external keyboard and mouse so you can position your laptop stacked on books or a riser and still type and move the cursor with your hands down.

If you find that you already have a bad posture due to your head being forward MY BEST HACK In helping people is called “water bottle traction”!  Very simple to do, you’ll start with a 16.9 oz plastic full room temperature water bottle (the kind you buy in a case i.e. Publix, Dasani, nestle). Lay it sideways on a carpeted floor and then lay down on your back with the water bottle under your neck.  If you’re doing it correctly your head should still touch the floor and you should feel a slight pressure as if your neck was being pressed toward the ceiling.  Just laying there and focusing on your breathing for 5 to 10 minutes every evening will help to rebuild the curvature in your neck and “fix” your posture.  

We thank Dr. Andrew Merrill for his valuable time and for sharing his thoughts with us.

Health insurance is crucial to your health and wellness. Make the most of your money by investing in things that matter the most. Call us at 866-261-7104 to speak to one of our licensed agents and get a free, quality, personalized consultation.