The Rising Costs of Healthcare
Welcome to this blog! One issue that is on the minds of most individuals who need medical care is the concern of rising costs, and a seemingly lack of results for the money spent (by government, insurance companies, businesses, and individuals like you and I).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of GDP spent on health expenditures over a 25 year period from 1990 to 2015 rose from 12.1% to 17.8% (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). Costs continue to rise, but unfortunately there is no justification of high prices when looking at the outcomes of medical care in the United States.
Healthcare expenses in the U.S. are projected to increase many times over in years to come. If we continue down this path of steadily rising healthcare costs and at the same time see more people with problems such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis, just to name a few, then it it is only matter of time when we have a country full of people with significant health problems that they cannot afford to take care of, burdening individuals and families both financially and in terms of quality of life.
For those who are not well due to medical problems or poor health, they are at risk to acquire additional medical problems due to situations like compromised immune system, weakness, decreased mobility, infection, or other medical issues. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there is a risk of ending up in a cycle that consists of multiple chronic diseases combined with a downward spiral of decline resulting from multiple illnesses, a decline in activity, which leads to reduced muscle mass, and reduced calorie intake and weight loss; in sum, sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue) sets in, which leads to a decline in physical activity, and the cycle repeats itself, with further decline in quality of life (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2013).
When there are multiple chronic health problems, daily functioning becomes difficult to manage, which potentially leads to serious health situations, such as falls, mismanagement of medications, and loss of function in regards to daily living skills such as being able to safely and independently bathe and dress oneself or the ability to walk to the bathroom. When multiple medical problems occur simultaneously, it often correlates with other health issues and a subsequent decline in wellness. Our body is a whole unit rather than separate entities, so when one system is not well, often times other systems follow suit. Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interest to maintain health and wellness as much as possible in order to avert this downward spiral that is often difficult to overcome.
There are many places to find statistics on how much the U.S. spends on healthcare compared to other countries. Although the findings vary somewhat depending on where you do your research, one thing that is agreed on is that the U.S spends FAR more per person on healthcare than any other country. According to the McKinsey & Co Consulting Firm, Americans spend double the amount on health care per person than any other country in the world; in fact, the U.S. spends more on health care for each family than the next ten largest spenders combined: Japan, Germany, France, China, The U.K., Italy, Canada, Brazil, Spain, and Australia (Mercola, 2013). Despite this incredible amount of money being spent, America’s ability to stay well remains a struggle.
Having experienced healthcare and medical treatment both as a consumer and as a clinician, I am passionate about helping others improve their wellness. While not everything medical is preventable, many illnesses and conditions can either be prevented or better managed. We can do better, but it will take some effort to improve health and wellness now and hopefully for years to come. Stay well everyone!