Dose of the Outdoors RX for Body & Soul

Health Care has certainly been in the news and on our minds over the past few years. With more time, money and energy spent on staying healthy, insurance companies are looking for new ways to cut their bottom line.

Studies have shown that maintaining health is much less expensive than fixing health woes once they occur, so many insurance companies are looking for ways to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle.

It’s no surprise that being in the great outdoors is good for us!

Sunset Magazine reports on a new trend called “Park Rx”: your health insurance actually pays for entrance fees at state and national parks.

The idea was launched at parkconservancy.com (read more about the history of the Parks Prescription program).

Some local governments are even catching on: the state of New Mexico is building a system of “Prescription Trails” to fight the rising diabetes rates (Prescriptiontrails.org), and in CA the SeeChange Health insurance program now reimburses patients for entry fees to 278 state parks.

So come meander down a trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, turns out it’s GOOD FOR YOU!

Be sure to visit Adventures for all sorts of healthy activities in and around America’s favorite national park, doctor’s orders.