[header] How to reduce rising health care costs [title] Eat healthy and exercise regularly. [step] The most effective way to reduce your medical costs is to reduce your need for medical care. You should not avoid regular checkups and necessary care, of course, and many injuries, illnesses, and conditions are beyond your control. 
That said, many chronic medical conditions that incur significant expenses-diabetes, heart disease, some cancers-are often heavily influenced by lifestyle choices. [substeps] One estimate indicated that if the u.s.