A Blog from our CEO, Jim Everett
Despite what you hear, we do not have a physician shortage in this country. However, there is a challenge with the variety, and we’re in need of more primary care doctors because we have a patient overload. To combat this issue we simply need to reach people before they become patients. The biggest impact we can and will have on health costs will not happen within the existing system. It will happen by helping make the healthy choices the easy choices and by aligning resources and incentives to promote health. The greatest threat to this country’s continued prosperity is failing to transform the current “sick care” system to a system that promotes good health.
With 50 percent of the GDP going to “health care” within our children’s lifetime, we are left with little for education, investment in science and technology innovations, transportation, etc. This is a real crisis that we must address.
It is not an overstatement to say that if we could get every person in this country who is able to walk the equivalent of 10,000 steps a day and get everyone to quit smoking, we would do more to reduce health care costs than we can imagine. Add in reducing sugary beverage consumption by 50 percent, and we’d amazed at the impact. It is simple, but it’s not easy, and we have to start somewhere.
