Articles

The Worst Kept Secret in Healthcare


For many of our health problems, the solutions are not a secret: eat well, move, make healthy choices. Of course sometimes that is easier said than done. Our physical and social environments–where we live, what kind of emotional support we have, our access to fresh food and healthcare–determine more of our healthcare than what our doctors prescribe. If we want to be serious about improving wellness, we must get serious about preventing health problems before they start.

The Bipartisan Policy Center launched a report last week looking at the best ways to incorporate prevention into our lives. Alice Rivlin and I announced the study:

In order to refocus on wellness, over the past year, the Bipartisan Policy Center convened a Prevention Task Force to determine how to change our nation’s health conversation so we are taking actions to promote wellness rather than focusing solely on providing reactive medical treatment after a person gets sick.

Today, the task force is releasing recommendations for achieving this goal, which include better connecting clinical providers and community organizations, and creating incentives to make preventive care a priority. As senior advisers to the task force, we strongly endorse the two-part framework today’s report outlines to more fully integrate prevention into the nation’s approach to health and health care.

Read more at US News and World Report.