why do you need a health coach?
Why have a health coach? In 1982 I became one of the first personal trainers in NYC. I couldn’t believe it! I love helping people in their journey with building strength, caring for their body and simply enjoyed the process of watching them grow. I want to do the same with Health Coaching. I just want to help my tribe become healthier and celebrate that beautiful metamorphosis with them and spread the word. We are living longer. We better take care of our spaceship. If you would like to book a session with me, please fill out this questionnaire and email it to me. We will set up a call and go from there.
Take a look at what the New York Times had to say about health coaching…
Are you among the 133 million Americans suffering from one or more chronic health conditions? Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, respiratory or digestive disease, among others that can diminish the quality of your life?
How well do you understand your condition and its treatment? Do you know how to minimize potentially disabling effects and delay its progression? Are you having difficulty following your doctor’s advice?
Or maybe you’re currently healthy but one or more of your habits could ultimately undermine your health and result in a chronic disorder.
it is THE JOB OF A HEALTH COACH to give patients the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence they need to participate fully in their own care and well-being.
As founder of Iora Health, a national network of primary care practices, Dr. Fernandopulle has made health coaches an integral part of patient care at dozens of medical sites around the country. Even if doctors had more time, he said, they’re not taught — and few know how — to motivate patients to make changes that would improve their health.
Currently, however, health coaches who assist in medical practices are not a dime a dozen. Clinics that utilize them can be very expensive, and they are not always covered by health insurance. There’s not even a code under which doctors could submit insurance claims for the services provided by health coaches.
As leading causes of disability and premature death, chronic disorders are responsible for the majority of the trillions of dollars now spent on health care. With the current surge in the number of Americans seeking insurance under the Affordable Care Act, insurers would be wise to include health coaching among the services offered.
If and when the Biden administration tackles the astronomical costs of American health care, it would do well to find ways to make health coaches accessible to more people. Their still limited inclusion in modern medical care is a telling example of the penny-wise, pound-foolish structure of American medicine.
The doctor may tell a patient ‘eat less, exercise more, take your medicine and come back in three months,’ but not how to execute this plan,” said Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, a primary care doctor in Hyannis, Mass.
To help cover the expense and improve their patients’ health, most primary care practices that utilize health coaches include the cost in the patient’s overall care. Iora, for example, operates through Medicare Advantage on what is known as a capitation system, getting a set amount for the care of each patient that includes health coaching. The healthier their patients remain, the more money the plan gets to keep.
Jane Brody is the Personal Health columnist, a position she has held since 1976. She has written more than a dozen books including the best sellers “Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book” and “Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.”
