true north transformative health
The Problem
*** Please note that True North Transformative Health is a separate service from Direct Primary Care. ***
In the last 20 years, the prevalence of chronic disease in the United States has grown by a steady 7 to 8 million people every 5 years. Today, chronic disease affects more than 50% of the population, and its care consumes more than 85% of health care costs.
When including indirect costs associated with lost economic productivity, the total cost of chronic disease in the United States reaches $3.8 trillion each year, approximately 19.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Obesity affects 19% of children and 42% of adults, putting them at risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Over 25% of young people aged 17 to 24 are too heavy to join the US military. Obesity costs the US health care system $147 billion a year.
Nothing kills more Americans than heart disease and stroke. More than 877,500 Americans die of heart disease or stroke every year—that’s one-third of all deaths. These diseases take an economic toll, as well, costing our health care system $216 billion per year and causing $147 billion in lost productivity on the job.
Each year in the United States, more than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer, and almost 600,000 die from it, making it the second leading cause of death. The cost of cancer care continues to rise and is expected to reach almost $240 billion by 2030.
More than 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, and another 88 million adults in the United States have a condition called prediabetes, which puts them at risk for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. In 2017, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes was $327 billion in medical costs and lost productivity.
- More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 4 of them don’t know they have it.
- More than 88 million US adults—1 in 3—have prediabetes, and 90% of them don’t know they have it.
- Prediabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Being overweight, being age 45 or older, and being physically active less than 3 times a week are risk factors for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition in our nation. $1 out of every $4 in US health care costs is spent on caring for people with diabetes.
The largest components of medical expenditures are:
- Hospital inpatient care (30% of the total medical cost)
- Prescription medications to treat complications of diabetes (30%)
- Anti-diabetic agents and diabetes supplies (15%)
- Physician office visits (13%)
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
- https://healthsciences.org/Infographic-The-Costs-of-Chronic-Disease-Implications-for-Health-Care
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm#:~:text=Nothing%20kills%20more%20Americans%20than,lost%20productivity%20on%20the%20job.
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/diabetes-prediabetes.htm#:~:text=Fast%20Facts,factor%20for%20type%202%20diabetes.
- Holman HR. The Relation of the Chronic Disease Epidemic to the Health Care Crisis. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2020;2(3):167-173. doi:10.1002/acr2.11114
- https://www.diabetes.org/about-us/statistics/cost-diabetes
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/programs-impact/pop/diabetes.htm#:~:text=The%20High%20Cost%20of%20Diabetes,chronic%20condition%20in%20our%20nation.&text=%241%20out%20of%20every%20%244,caring%20for%20people%20with%20diabetes.&text=%24237%20billion%E2%80%A1(c)%20is,(c)%20on%20reduced%20productivity.
true north transformative health
It doesn't have to be this way.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Chronic disease, health related economic burden and early death can be prevented. You can improve your quality of life and your health. Let True North Transformative Health change your trajectory and your life! We can do this together!
