An Ounce of Prevention

The cost of the top seven chronic but preventable diseases is expected to rise at an increasing rate over the coming years. Nationally these diseases cost $1 billion in 2003. In Texas alone the cost currently is estimated to be $75.3 billion annually and will rise to $332 billion a year by 2020 according to a study by the Milken Institute (yes, that Michael Milken). In 2003 nearly 12 million Texans suffered from chronic, preventable diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

One of these days mainstream medicine has to change its priority from acute care (and its financial rewards) to prevention or someone is going to have to change it for them.