Integrated Care Matters
Integrated healthcare matters. It is not just the cost of initial care, the follow-on costs of treatment, lost time and disability lead to a drag on productivity, performance and readiness..
The cost of health care is "blowing the top off the Pentagon's budget" according to a recent CNN report and Secretary Gates of the Department of Defense:
Mirroring the private sector trend, expenses have skyrocketed within the military's health system. The military spent $19 billion on health care in 2001 -- and $49 billion in 2010. The Department of Defense forecasts a continued rise of 5% to 7% a year.
The bottom line: Health care will account for 10% of the Pentagon budget by 2015.
Modernizing military health systems might result in savings of $6 billion, funds that could be used to pay down federal debt, or be reinvested in a Pentagon budget that might be shrinking if reformers get their way.
