The Appeal of Morbidity Compression

In the dark, cold wintry months of December I had the privilege and pleasure of listening to the WELCOA 7 Benchmarks presentation - a four-week long course that teaches successful wellness program design.  You can learn more about that webinar series as well as others by going to:  https://www.welcoa.org/events/?showcategory=41.

David Hunnicutt, the presenter, offered fascinating information and tips.  One of the most interesting pieces of information were graphs that showed how one could compress his or her "morbidity" or sickness level until the very end of one's life.  In other words, by choosing healthy behaviors, you have a better chance of living a healthy life, free from major illness, for most of your life, even while others who did not make such wise choices suffer from debilitating pain.  According to Mr. Hunnicutt, 50% of an individual's health status is attributed to health behavior and that after age 40, most people are unable to "ride the crest of youth" to feel healthy despite their behavior.

Providers and organizations that invest in and deliver wellness services to others have so much potential in making a significant difference in quality of life.  As a society, we must pay more attention to these providers and organizations by integrating them into health care delivery solutions and supporting them with laws and policies that increase access.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a start.  The ACA creates a number of incentives to collaborate with wellness providers, such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Community Health Teams.  It also provides grants to expand workplace wellness programs.  These are good things that should be touted and leveraged.  Health Care That Matters, Inc. aims to find providers and organizations who are taking advantage of these initiatives and spreading wellness to the masses.  If you know of someone who fits that description, please contact us.