Shifting Our Healthcare Delivery Model from Reactive to Proactive

The U.S. healthcare system is largely a sickness model of reactive care delivery. In our current healthcare delivery model, interventions are triggered by patients becoming unwell; we don’t invest enough in prevention and when we do, prevention strategies are often misdirected. This model is unsustainable, particularly given the nation’s changing demographics. In the next two decades, the number of adults over 65 will increase 30%, from 63 million to 82 million, accounting for nearly one-quarter of the U.S. population by 2050. While many of these older Americans will enjoy a long lifespan, their health span will be challenged by the burden of chronic illness (85% of adults aged 65 and older are managing at least one chronic condition, and two-thirds are dealing with two or more), or by acute impactful health events, many of which can be prevented.