Reducing Health Care Costs Through Prevention

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Abstract:

Primary prevention is a systematic process that promotes healthy environments and behaviors before the onset of symptoms, thus reducing the likelihood of an illness, condition, or injury occurring. Health and rates of chronic disease are influenced by factors such as toxins in the air, water, and soil; access to healthy foods, parks, and recreational facilities; and the walkability and safety of neighborhoods. Certainly, preventive services, such as screening and disease management, that address populations at-risk and those that already have illness are important and should be part of a high-functioning health system. However, primary prevention—with an emphasis on improving the environments where Californians live, work, play, and go to school—is the prescription for reducing the health care system’s burden and thereby reducing the costs associated with paying to treat preventable conditions.