CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to WalletHub, Corpus Christi ranks as the 10th unhealthiest city in America.
The study was based on several factors, such as the cost of medicine, doctor visits, and insurance coverage.
The national average monthly cost of health insurance premiums for a single individual is about $700, according to US News. But that is not the case for us here in the Coastal Bend. 3NEWS spoke with local insurance broker William Heavin at BCI Insurance Solutions regarding how much people pay in Corpus Christi for coverage.
"Premiums locally in Nueces County, are about a thousand dollars a month per person," he said.
That's approximately an extra $300 a month that we pay for healthcare compared to the national average. Now, even if you don't require consistent medical treatment, just one trip to the hospital will put most people in a financial pinch.
"Hospital care right now is about ten thousand dollars a day and the leading cause of bankruptcy, is healthcare," he said.
Corpus Christi's ranking as the tenth unhealthiest city stems from significant health conditions, as noted by CEO and Dr. Eric Baggerman of Amistad Community Health Center.
"Our biggest health problems are associated with obesity, diabetes; that's one in particular that's really an epidemic, heart disease, very much associated with our weight as well and just with lifestyle," he said.
The cost of healthcare may not change as quickly as we hope, but as a city, we can start making lifestyle changes today.
"Find something that fits your life and your time and make it a priority because there's always excuses for why we can't walk to that friend's house. Oh, we have to drive. But say no it's a priority so I need to get past it and do it," he said.
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