Ken Thorpe of Emory University has analyzed Medicare Advantage programs and estimates that Medicare could conservatively cut 5-10% of its total spending by focusing on preventing chronic disease and providing better-coordinated care for those with chronic conditions. This could translate into hundreds of billions of dollars saved. For example, one quarter of Medicare beneficiaries have diabetes. A randomized trial of the Diabetes Prevention Program found that a 5-7% reduction in weight reduces diabetes prevalence by 58%!
PositiveTip: Healthy choices can lead to significantly better outcomes and huge savings in healthcare dollars.