By K. ANDREW CRIGHTON
IN THIS HIGHLY charged political year, one issue continues to stand out: fear over the ever-escalating cost of health care.
Although the candidates from both parties differ in how they would approach this problem, they agree that increasing access to primary and preventive health care is key to reducing the staggering expense of chronic diseases.
This position is well-placed. Indeed, 30 percent of Americans live with chronic diseases that account for 70 percent of all deaths in the United States. And despite the fact that chronic diseases are simultaneously the most costly and the most preventable among our health problems, our system is focused on treating diseases rather than preventing or curing them.
A recent report published by the World Economic Forum identified chronic disease as a phenomenon as threatening as global warming, terrorism, infectious disease or poverty. Representing 75 percent of our nation’s $2 trillion in medical spending, chronic disease is literally and figuratively crippling our nation.
The forum looked beyond the easily measurable direct costs of chronic disease and examined its impact on productivity costs. They found that productivity losses associated with workers dealing with chronic disease are as much as 400 percent more than the cost of treating the chronic disease itself.
Shortchanging arthritis
One of the most overlooked chronic diseases is arthritis. Arthritis affects 1.6 million people in our state alone and is the No. 1 cause of disability in people over the age of 16.
The estimated direct and indirect costs of arthritis in New Jersey in 2003 were $3.5 billion and have been on the rise since. A study of four large U.S. employers published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and cited in the forum’s report, identified the top 10 drivers of health care and productivity costs. Among them, arthritis ranked seventh in overall cost.
Despite the ever-increasing prevalence and impact of arthritis, government spending continues to decline. National Institutes of Health funding for arthritis research has been steadily declining for the past six years, falling from $374 million in 2004 to a projected $339 million in 2008 – a loss of $35 million in real dollars.
Funding for prevention of arthritis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has remained flat for more than five years at $13 million just about 25 cents per American with arthritis. And right here in New Jersey, we are entering our second year of zero funding for arthritis in our state.
The United States has always been known for providing the highest quality of life for its citizens. Arthritis, along with other chronic diseases, robs people of their quality of life from both economic and health standpoints.
The forum’s report stresses that if we don’t address the problem of chronic disease, our ability to fight other global issues will be greatly jeopardized.
Political issue
It’s time our nation stood up for the millions of Americans fighting the disabling effects of arthritis and other chronic diseases, as well as protected those at risk for developing a chronic disease in the future.
Our economy, our health care system, our citizens, our family members, our children and our friends deserve better.
Our nation simply cannot afford to ignore this looming crisis. We need to keep this issue in front of the candidates and ask them, along with our elected officials, to pass legislation that will encourage our health care system to focus on preventing and curing chronic diseases such as arthritis, not just treating them.
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K. Andrew Crighton is chairman of the board of directors of the New Jersey chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and vice president and chief medical officer of Prudential Financial.
(c) 2008 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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