Introduction
Healthcare costs in the world are increasing partly due to existence of chronic diseases. Their existence is causing huge demand on their respective healthcare systems in terms of their diagnosis, detection, management, and delivery of the relevant clinical care. Though sometimes preventable, chronic diseases are on the rise especially in America and their outcome is increased expenditure not only on the patients, but also insurance providers. Diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, cancers, and other incurable illnesses are classified as chronic and their rising costs are demand evaluation since insurance providers are finding it difficult to handle their obligations because some market segments are consuming significant financial resources.
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"Chronic Illness: Driver Of Healthcare Cost In America".
Discussion
According to (Valero-Elizondo, Salami, & Osondu, 2016), though chronic diseases are on the rise, they are among the most preventable health problems in the world. However, it has been found out that their rise is associated with risky behaviors and lifestyles like lack of physical exercise, poor nutrition, poor diagnosis capabilities, and other lifestyle practices that have created an environment where chronic diseases thrive. The aging population and the middle class are most affected due to their sedentary lifestyles that attract cases of obesity, of which, result into higher rates of diabetes and other related complications.
As of the year 2012, more than 117 million people have one or more chronic diseases in America. This meant that the top ten cause of death in the same year was associated with chronic diseases; whereby, cancer and heart diseases accounted for almost 48% of the total deaths. Illnesses like diabetes are present among one third of adults in America and it among the leading causes of kidney failures, new cases of blindness in adults, and lower limp amputations. This being said, it is predicted that chronic diseases prevalence will rise to 57% as of 2020 with middle class being the most affected due to adaptation of unhealthy behaviors.
The rising prevalence is reflected by the current healthcare costs especially among insurance providers. One way that insurance companies are experiencing higher costs is though covering facility, physician, and drug costs. These are highest expenditures followed by expensive procedures and technologies. Americans have been known to choose the most expensive technologies which are passed in whole or partially to their insurance companies. Finally, there is uncoordinated care practices whose outcome is costly misdiagnosis, unnecessary care, and complications that drive healthcare costs covered by insurance companies.
Continuous rise of healthcare costs in relation to chronic diseases demands containment since they are preventable and they have detrimental implications on the population. In the article by (Mitchell, Reschovsky, Film, & Franzini, 2017), the first solution is focusing on programs that promote healthy behaviors although the current social settings encourage sedentary lifestyles. These programs should be educative on issues like nutrition, physical activities, and other lifestyle processes that strengthen the body to resist chronic diseases at their onset. Second, the healthcare system should invest in early detection and preventive care since chronic diseases are most expensive at their advanced stages.
Conclusion
Chronic diseases are problematic in terms of their rising expenses to insurance companies, as well as their demographic implications including a high number of deaths. Over the years, millions of people have fallen victims of chronic diseases and their effects can be reflected in their increasing number of deaths. Based on the rising costs, deaths, and other health complications, the best way to address the rising costs of healthcare is through preventive care, early detection techniques, and population health programs that focus on educating people on appropriate lifestyle choices. In the end, these solutions will help reduce health costs on insurance companies through premiums and other forms of cover.
- Mitchell, J. M., Reschovsky, J. D., Film, R. J., & Franzini, L. (2017). Examining Drivers of Health Care Spending: Evidence on Self-referral Among a Privately Insured Population. Medical Care.
- Valero-Elizondo, J., Salami, J. A., & Osondu, C. U. (2016). Drivers of Healthcare Costs Among Adults With Obesity in United States: 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. American Heart Association, A146-A146.
