By Skip Rimer
Director of Programs and Communications
Milken Institute

Today the Milken Institute released an important study that demonstrates the heavy economic burden chronic disease places on our nation – and how much worse this burden could become in the coming decades if Americans don’t take measures to improve their health.

"An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease" shows the current treatment costs of seven chronic diseases (cancers, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders and pulmonary conditions) and the economic impacts of lost workdays and lower employee productivity across all 50 states and the nation as a whole.

It also takes an unprecedented look at how much these costs are expected to skyrocket as America’s population ages – and the drain on businesses and the economy.

Finally, but most important, Institute researchers have projected the costs and potential savings into two paths: the one we are now on, and one that could change the course of this personal and national economic burden if we take moderate steps through prevention and healthier lifestyles. The study is the first of its kind to estimate the possible avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans’ health.

You can read more about the study on our web site (www.milkeninstitute.org) and view additional data at a web site we have created to post all of the state and national data: http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/. We believe this study will be an important addition to the ongoing debate over the costs of health care in the United States, and what can be done to reduce this economic burden. # # #