I'm mad!

The 'Madness' of our current healthcare system is once again showing it's true colors. Here are some interesting stats: According to the Millman Medical Index, Healthcare costs have doubled in 9 years (2002-2011) with an increase of 7.3% from 2010-2011. Pharmacy costs have risen 8% due to a larger population taking medications and the higher costs of certain drugs. (According to the Kaiser Health Foundation the AVERAGE American age 19-64 is now taking more than 11 prescription medications) While the average salary went up 3% from 2009-2011. So here we have a society that now has health costs that have been doubled in only 9 years and employees salaries have only gone up 3%...does anyone else see a problem here?! A 2009 NYTimes blog stated that 2 out of every 3 bankruptcies are due to high medical costs.

Why am I mad? For the first time in history, lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers are killing more people than communicable diseases. But they're preventable, and you prevent them by the same way that you cause them: lifestyle choices. This isn't just me talking. In a recent issue of the magazine Circulation, the American Heart Association editorial board stated that costs in the U.S. from cardiovascular disease - the leading cause of death here and in much of the rest of the world - will triple by 2030, to more than $800 billion annually. Similarly, Type 2 diabetes is projected to cost us $500 billion a year by 2020, when half of all Americans will have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Need I remind you that Type 2 diabetes is virtually entirely preventable? The National Health Institute has said in its online 'PubMed' that "Only 5-10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90-95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle." We need to stop running from what we don't want (illness, sickness, cancer and pain), and start running toward what WE DO WANT (health, vibrancy and longevity).

What am I asking you do to? INVEST! I'm not asking you to invest in another insurance group with a lower premium. Rather than treating the symptom...how about once and for all we address the CAUSE of the problem! I'm asking you to INVEST IN YOU! If not for yourself, do it for the next generation who are going to have to pay the bill for our selfishness. Don't you want them to be prosperous, abundant and able to enjoy this world; or, strapped from paying for your medical bills either directly or indirectly through the rising costs of insurance? If you want to create a happier and healthier world tomorrow, don't do it by electing officials who will merely lower your insurance payments (treating symptoms)...start with the person in the mirror and start changing your life (treating the cause). Get healthy by choice.