Medicine & Society: volume 1, part 9

For this edition, I will bring to light the following issues: healthcare expenditure growth projections, Food Is Medicine, and mental health in America. Happy reading!

1)?Like it or not, the U.S. will continue to see a steady growth in health expenditures and enrollment into Government and commercial insurance products. In a recent article, the Health Affairs highlighted the growth in health expenditures. Of note, the healthcare’s share of GDP will be at 19.7% in 2032, which is up from 17.3% from 2022. The health policy experts also believe that during the 2027-2032 period, the healthcare related expenditures will continue to rise faster than the rest of the economy. To learn more about these sobering projections, please visit the link here - Health Affairs article on Heath Expenditures

2)?We all know that Food Is Medicine movement is picking up steam both in lay media and in some medical literature. ?Access to healthy food is critical to maintain a good health and to prevent cardiovascular disease and many other ailments. We are also aware that in the U.S., there are food deserts, and that the food insecurity is looming larger than ever for many Americans. Health experts and clinicians are also advocating for access to healthy foods as part of chronic disease management. I believe we will continue to see policy-level changes and advocacy in this space in coming years. If you would like to learn more, please check this article from Health Affairs - Health Affairs Article - Food Is Medicine

3)?Mental health issues are at front and center these days as we continue to manage the integration of mental health in primary care, access to behavioral health services, and treatment of pressing issues, such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. Kaiser Family Foundation has a ton of helpful information about mental health if you care to learn more. One infographic caught my attention: A small set of statistics about mental health in America. This was based on a KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)CNN Mental Health Survey?(done from July 28-August 9, 2022) which included a nationally representative sample of 2,004 U.S.?residents. Interestingly, in that survey 47% parents believed the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse effect on their child’s mental health. I hope we study this assertion with more rigorously, because the association is quite interesting and worth pursuing. To learn more, please visit the KFF link here: KFF Resource on Mental Health ?