According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. annual health spending in 2023 was $4.9 trillion, a yearly increase of 7.5 percent, growing from a rate of 4.6 percent in 2022.
Building a Human Future requires a new healthcare design for spending.
At the current U.S. Annual Healthcare expenditure of $4.9 trillion, 90%, or $4.44 trillion, goes toward managing chronic diseases and mental health conditions, largely preventable through lifestyle interventions.
Lifestyle Investment Returns
Studies have suggested strategic investment in community-based lifestyle programs, products, and services for every $1 invested generates an average of $5.60 in savings, a 5.6:1 ratio depending on the state.
Using the 5.6:1 savings ratio, a $220 billion Lifestyle Care annual expenditure could reduce the nation’s $4.9 trillion annual healthcare spending by 25%.
Whole person care, also known as integrative or holistic care, is an approach that considers the entire individual —encompassing physical, mental, emotional, social, and environmental factors — rather than just focusing solely on specific symptoms or diseases. This comprehensive approach can significantly reduce the prevalence and cost of lifestyle-related chronic diseases through several mechanisms:
1. Preventive Measures and Early Intervention
2. Lifestyle Behavioral and Mental Health Recovery
3. Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)
4. Community Safe AI access cultivating AI Literacy
This Building a Human Future newsletter will continue to discuss whole person care and document the successful development of the Lifestyle Care sector and the deployment of the Lifestyle Smart Coach workforce nationally.