What can I do to minimize my health costs? (Do genes count?)

Treat health like the limited commodity it is. The more you keep, the less it costs to rebuild and maintain it. Steps you take in your 20s and 30s can build a strong foundation and reinforce lifetime patterns. It is true for both your financial and physical health.  Ultimately good health reduces to three factors: behavior, genes, and accidents. Some are controllable, others are not.

First and foremost, take control of what you can control, start with behaviors. 

Identify good habits and behaviors and eliminate bad ones. People face different situations at different ages and require different frameworks to take control and help themselves. If you are a young adult in transition from school to work, click here for strategies and resources.  If you are young and single start here.

Your genes are a given. But you can learn about them. That used to be impossible, then impossibly expensive. It isn’t now. Testing for breast cancer can run from $100 to $5,000 depending on how comprehensive the test is. The expensive ones are individualized and comprehensive. The low-cost ones often support broad research. There are caveats because it is complex. But you are better equipped to ask good questions, and it may inform or accelerate a diagnosis. 

Accidents are not controllable. However, The chance of accidents and their severity are controllable. Avoidance and protection can reduce both.