Prevention

Prevention is going to be the key ingredient in reducing our health care expenditures and the rates of chronic diseases.  If people begin taking control over their own health and well-being, they will obviously have a better quality of life and those dollars we are currently spending on their care can be put elsewhere.  The problem with all of this is the view of preventive care from the American society.  Many people simply don't understand what preventive care is; they don't realize that it is  lifestyle and not just random doctors visits or lab draws.  Unfortunately, many people do not want to or cannot afford to make this major change and that is where the problem is deeply rooted.  

Overall, I think chronic diseases are the single most burdensome aspect of health care costs and treatment in the United States.  Reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases could single-handedly drop health care expenditures by an incredible amount.  Like I mentioned before, prevention is going to be the answer to this problem.  The only question that remains is how long it will take for prevention to become a lifestyle and not just a theory.