Preventative health care is key

By Christie Fielding, Las Vegas

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 | 2 a.m.

As we watch a newly elected president take office and begin to address key issues, I take courage in knowing that the issue of health care is a high priority. As many of us know, the health care system in the United States is in crisis. As the population in the U.S. ages, the health care system will continue to feel the strain of caring for people who are living longer and have more chronic illness.

The cost of treating chronic illness continues to soar. The Triple Solution for a Healthier America says $3 out of every $4 in the federal health care budget is spent on treating chronic illness. One of the ways the prevalence of chronic illness can be curbed is by preventing the illness from happening. It is vitally important that every person knows what preventative health measures are available to them and that they take advantage of those measure. By taking advantage of these preventative health care measures, chronic illness can be prevented, or at the least caught early enough to prevent major complications from the illness.

It is important for aging adults to be able to look forward to their older years, and being strong and healthy will be key to achieving this. I encourage every adult to learn about and take advantage of the preventative health care measures that are available to them. By doing this, we can all achieve a healthier country.

The writer is a graduate student in social work.