Episode No. 37: Still V.B.I.D.: Chronic Disease and the Drive to Health Care Value

American Benefits Podcast

According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have at least one chronic disease, while 4 in 10 have two or more. The CDC also estimates that 90% of the nation’s health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions. And it’s very likely that the pandemic has exacerbated chronic disease by disrupting access to chronic disease treatment and control services.

If we have any hope of lowering health care costs and improving outcomes – which is the crux of the Council’s health policy agenda – we have to address chronic care.

On this episode of the American Benefits Podcast, the Council’s Senior Advisor, Health Policy, Katy Spangler speaks to Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, professor of Internal Medicine in the University of Michigan School of Medicine and a Professor of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, and Paul Fronstin, director of the Health Research and Education Program at EBRI, about a recent study they published on employer take-up of pre-deductible chronic care services.