Focus On Chronic Diseases

People are always talking about where to focus to reduce costs in the US health care system…Here’s a hint from the January 2009 Health Affairs Health Policy Update:

“Now three-quarters of the $2 trillion-plus that we spend on U.S. health care each year goes to paying the bills for chronic illness:  cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, cancers, diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, depression.  Globally, the World Health Organization estimates, three out of every five deaths – four out of five in low- and middle-income countries – stem from chronic disease.”