Those famous birthday landmarks: 30, 40,
50, 60, 70, 80...
Some see them as
milestones, others see them as wrinkles, however your doctor sees them
completely different. With age, comes the increased risk of certain types of
health conditions. In fact there are screenings, tests, and vaccinations that
are highly encouraged based solely on age. But who can keep track of them!?
Let me introduce you to
the Aging for Healthcare Research and Quality Electronic Preventative Services
Selector (AHRQ
ePSS). Based on five questions (including your age), this program will give
you a printable list of health promotion and prevention recommendations unique
to you.
Consider that in
2012, a scant 3 percent of current health care spending in the United States is
now focused on prevention and public health, while a whopping 75 percent of
health care costs are related to preventable conditions. The United States can
— and must — do better, especially considering that its per capita health care
spending is twice the average of other industrialized nations even as it still
ranks a dismal 24th out of 30 for life expectancy.
Obamacare will radically
change this, offering free (yes, free) preventative care.
Today people are living
longer but are also spending more time living with chronic ailments. Over the
course of the 20th century, global life expectancy soared by 30 years, 25 of
which stemmed from public health advances such as improved sanitation,
environmental advances, vaccine campaigns, and tobacco control.
So at your next milestone, put preventative care on your calendar. You and your loved ones can be the start of a new statistics of people who choose to max out their preventative care and take care of things early. It's never too late to start.
