Briefly describe the negative impacts of chronic disease in the U.S. in terms of medical costs and societal burden (human cost). Include 2 examples of each. (2.5 points)
Chronic disease is a major factor in when discussing medical costs and societal burdens. In the US chronic disease is costly especially as much of the aged population lives longer and many have chronic diseases that can later become disabling (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Chronic disease places a lot of stress on a person and their finances. Medical costs related to heart disease are over $107 billion dollars annually (American Public Health Association, 2013). These rates will continue to rise until more is done to reduce the occurrence of heart disease through lifestyle …show more content…
Another societal burden are the high mortality rates associated with heart disease. According to CDC (2015), 25% of deaths are related to heart disease in the United States yearly, which is approximately 610 million people. The loss of productivity and increased mortality rates both have a negative effect on the economy. For instance the aging population is increasing, as that population retires, funding their healthcare becomes a major concern as programs like Medicare are funded by employed individuals, and a foreseeable shift is going to occur in which a large population retires (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Other social burdens are the loss of income, the loss of job, the increase in medical bills related to chronic illnesses all of which can affect health outcomes and the family’s ability to …show more content…
The Affordable Health Care Act has helped to safeguard consumer from unjustified hikes in premiums as well as preserve programs like Medicare and reducing prescription drug cost for seniors (HHS,2015). These strategies help to improve health outcomes by making preventative measures and screenings available for early detection and prevention of diseases and by providing better access to care for seniors. According to American Public Health Association (2013), if the US invests in the prevention and treatment of the most common chronic diseases, they could decrease treatment costs by $218 billion dollars annually thus reducing the economic impact related to these diseases by $1.1 trillion dollars yearly. The financial relief that could occur related to preventative measures further necessitates our need as nurse to educate and advocate for high risk
Chronic disease is a major factor in when discussing medical costs and societal burdens. In the US chronic disease is costly especially as much of the aged population lives longer and many have chronic diseases that can later become disabling (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Chronic disease places a lot of stress on a person and their finances. Medical costs related to heart disease are over $107 billion dollars annually (American Public Health Association, 2013). These rates will continue to rise until more is done to reduce the occurrence of heart disease through lifestyle …show more content…
Another societal burden are the high mortality rates associated with heart disease. According to CDC (2015), 25% of deaths are related to heart disease in the United States yearly, which is approximately 610 million people. The loss of productivity and increased mortality rates both have a negative effect on the economy. For instance the aging population is increasing, as that population retires, funding their healthcare becomes a major concern as programs like Medicare are funded by employed individuals, and a foreseeable shift is going to occur in which a large population retires (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Other social burdens are the loss of income, the loss of job, the increase in medical bills related to chronic illnesses all of which can affect health outcomes and the family’s ability to …show more content…
The Affordable Health Care Act has helped to safeguard consumer from unjustified hikes in premiums as well as preserve programs like Medicare and reducing prescription drug cost for seniors (HHS,2015). These strategies help to improve health outcomes by making preventative measures and screenings available for early detection and prevention of diseases and by providing better access to care for seniors. According to American Public Health Association (2013), if the US invests in the prevention and treatment of the most common chronic diseases, they could decrease treatment costs by $218 billion dollars annually thus reducing the economic impact related to these diseases by $1.1 trillion dollars yearly. The financial relief that could occur related to preventative measures further necessitates our need as nurse to educate and advocate for high risk