Common sense is, well, uncommon these days. I just read a new survey that showed where we could save $2 trillion in health care $$$ in 10 years by doing some simple things with our drugs…you can read the report on the survey here.
Granted, the survey was done by Express Scripts, who clearly have a dog in the fight, but I thought the main points were valid.
They found the basic human habits of forgetfulness, procrastination and how we take our medications has an annual tab at $163 billion. With conservative estimates for inflation, this waste would total more than $2 trillion when projected over 10 years. That alone would more than pay for health insurance reform. This is good.
The authors propose some basic approaches in dealing with these behaviors, with the common thread that they preserve individual choice as they trigger significant improvements in behavior. I’m big on that, and like approaches that are voluntary at the patient level, yet drive decisions that are more cost-effective.
Working with my friends in the CFO community, it is clear that we have to do anything possible for common sense health care reform…our economic competitiveness as a capitalistic economy depends on it. personally, I have several medications I take, and have been able to make it a habit. A good habit.
On a secondary note, I am wearing a nifty pedometer and am involved in our company’s health improvement and wellness challenge. The doc says that if I drop 20 pounds, I can probably cut back on some of my medications. I’ll keep you posted. My short term goal? 7000 steps a day. Yesterday? 4000. Grr.
Karl Ahlrichs' Uncommon Experience 
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