The Hidden Costs of Ignoring Your Health: What Insurance Won’t Cover

Last week, I was chatting with someone who was telling me how she’s started saving thousands of dollars for a big trip abroad she’s planning to take in a few years. She’s so excited about it, budgeting and dreaming about all the places she’ll visit. It sounded amazing!

But just a few minutes earlier, she’d said she wasn’t considering a support option for chronic migraines, PCOS, gut issues, mental health challenges, psoriasis, exhaustion, or brain fog because it’s “too much right now.”

Instead, she’s going to continue to rely on her insurance, even though she admitted that after 30 years, nothing covered by her plan has worked.

The Hidden Cost of “Small” Health Spending

She deals with her symptoms daily and pours lots of time and money into just keeping them in check. But when it comes to actually spending on something that might truly improve her health, it’s like there’s a block there. And the weirdest part? She’s not even thinking about how these health issues impact her daily life, and how they could mess up her dream trip.

She is spending money on her health continuously, but in small amounts, so it doesn’t have that sticker shock effect. If she sat down and totaled up all of the small expenses over the years, that number would probably shock her. I know mine did.

Babysitters when I was in too much pain to watch my kids, ice hats, essential oils, missed days at work, special foods, supplements, copays, gas to get to all of my appointments—you get the idea.

So even though I had insurance, the things insurance covered (like medications) were not working. I was still spending out of pocket on things to try to reduce or manage my symptoms. $50 here, $10 there—all adding up to well over $15,000 in 10 years.

The iPhone vs. Health Paradox

It’s interesting when you think about it—how we’ll drop $1,000 for the latest iPhone or plan a family vacation to Disney without batting an eyelash, yet when it comes to spending on our health, we put on the brakes.

When it comes to making decisions about where our money goes, priorities can get a little skewed. A shiny new phone? The allure is immediate—it’s cool, it’s now. But if someone suggests dropping some cash on a health program, it’s like hitting a mental speed bump. It’s not as shiny, not as new.

What the Research Says

There’s actual research backing up this tug-of-war we have with our wallets.

Studies have shown that investing in addressing migraines can be transformative, both medically and financially. For instance, research published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain found that effective migraine support could significantly reduce lost work productivity, yielding thousands of dollars in avoided economic loss annually.

Similarly, another study highlighted in The Journal of Neurological Sciences indicates that preventive measures—such as lifestyle adjustments combined with targeted root-cause solutions—not only reduce the frequency of migraine episodes but also lessen long-term healthcare expenditures.

The Bigger Picture: Inflammation

Remember: Migraines are just a symptom of a bigger issue. Your inflammation network is overactive and, when left unchecked, continues to disrupt your signaling pathway, damaging tissue and leading to health concerns like autoimmunity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

The Emotional Toll

Beyond the physical pain, migraines are tied heavily to emotional strain and mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.

A study published in Cephalalgia discovered that addressing migraines early can improve overall mental health outcomes and increase day-to-day functionality—making it a worthy investment in both physical and emotional health.

Why We Don’t Invest in Our Health

Even with all this data staring us in the face, we still tend to deprioritize health spending. It’s like there’s a mental block. We’ll fork out loads for things that give us a quick buzz, yet we lock our wallets down tight when it’s about our future selves.

Why?

Hyperbolic Discounting

Economists call it hyperbolic discounting, which is a fancy term for preferring smaller, immediate rewards over bigger, delayed ones. Picking a dinner out or trip now feels more appealing than investing in a migraine freedom plan that will pay off down the line.

The Quick-Fix Culture

Our culture loves the quick fix, the easy win. We’re slammed by ads selling the next must-have—supplements, electrolyte powders, wearable devices for relief. We want to believe there’s a magic cure that can fix years of imbalance in just a few days or hours.

A migraine freedom course or any root-cause health plan, which doesn’t give us that instant dopamine hit, struggles to compete.

Reframing the Conversation About Health Spending

While the numbers are clear and the research is convincing, we need to outsmart our own wiring to see the bigger picture.

It’s about reframing how we look at spending on health—not as an optional extra, but as an investment in our quality of life, future happiness, and longevity.

It’s about giving our health the same weight in our budgets as we do to our immediate pleasures.

Your Weekly Non-Negotiables

We all have our things. What are you okay with spending money on each week?

Your cell phone plan because you need your smartphone and unlimited texting?
Your streaming services so you don’t miss your favorite shows?
Your daily coffee and lunches out?
Your salon visits?

Each one of us has our non-negotiables when it comes to spending.

Because, let’s face it—what good is the latest tech or a dream holiday if we’re not healthy enough to enjoy it?

I admit I won’t hesitate to spend crazy prices on healthy organic food, but debate canceling my streaming service when they raise the rates $1 a month. We all have our things.

Join the Conversation

So, what are your things? What are your non-negotiables when it comes to your spending?

Send me a DM, or better yet, head over to the Women’s Migraine Freedom™ group and let’s have some fun comparing notes there.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Waidl is the Owner of In The Balance Health Coaching LLC, and Founder of The Freedom From Migraines Method™ & The Migraine Freedom Protocol™
She supports busy moms living with Migraines.

Debbie will uncover what is holding them back from migraine freedom so they can live their life pain and symptom free, work productively, spend the time they want with family and friends, and stop missing out on the things they enjoy.

A message from Debbie:
"I was once right where you are now. 100% believing there was NO WAY to end migraines and my only option was to learn how to live with them or find that magic pill that maybe would work for a while. If anyone told me back then that I could end my pain once and for all, I would have called BS and popped another pill!

Skeptical times 10 was my middle name for sure because when you try it all and everyone tells you they can help you and they don’t. You stop believing… you lose HOPE!

I now realize I was approaching my migraines all backward.

I was trying to cover up symptoms versus trying to end my pain."

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