The Future of Healthcare

"Life Expectancy in U.S. Declines Slightly, and Researchers Are Puzzled"

Last year the average life expectancy in the US declined for the first time since 1993. The title of the article above troubled me and caused me to question my own views on modern medicine.

Further research led to more concern for the future of our nation's healthcare system.

Our life expectancy doesn't even rank in the top 10 for developed countries (#31 out of over 180 countries according to the WHO's 2016 data). Yet we spend far more on healthcare than any other country.

So why don't we have some of the best healthcare in the world? Where is the disconnect?

Even researchers aren't sure where to point the finger...

But here is what I know:

There is an obvious gap in our healthcare system that needs to be addressed.

Past attempts at healthcare reform have failed to reach the true root of the problem. Usually the "reform" comes in the form of a revised healthcare payment plan, but changing how we pay for healthcare doesn't really change anything.

We could also make US healthcare the most accessible in the world and that still wouldn't address the real problem.

The current model does a great job of treating disease, but a poor job of preventing disease.

Prevention.

This is the missing piece to the puzzle.

We funnel billions of dollars into medical research, new technologies and advanced treatments. Little time or resources are spent to improve preventative medicine.

Healthcare and medical costs can only inflate so much before people start looking for alternatives.

I think it is only a matter of time before people start realizing it's far too expensive to be sick and begin investing more in personal health.

I think at that point we'll start to see a shift from a treatment focused healthcare system to a prevention focused healthcare system and a rise in complimentary and alternative medicine.

I believe investing more in disease prevention would truly transform our healthcare system and increase longevity.

What if I told you the leading causes of death in the US could largely be prevented.

They can.

Heart disease, cancer (not all, but some), type 2 diabetes and obesity are just a few chronic diseases that could be prevented and even reversed with the right lifestyle changes.

The treatment of these chronic diseases are part of the reason our healthcare costs continue to rise. Preventative medicine just makes sense... cost effective, more efficient and promotes longevity.

Prevention is the future of medicine.

Why not start investing now?

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