The Friday Post had an article offering the discouraging news from a study from the Centers for Disease Control that baby boomers are suffering from arthritis at a much higher rate than their parents. If this trend continues, it certainly augers poorly for the health of the baby boomers, as well as the cost of sustaining the country's health care system.
The Post reports that the CDC projected that the higher than expected rate of arthritis will add $81 billion to the country's annual health care bill: "the $81 billion figure represents three percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), 'a startling figure,' said Louise Murphy, an Atlanta epidemiologist who worked with the CDC on the report."
This is indeed startling, most importantly because $81 billion is equal to less than 0.6 percent of the country's GDP (currently almost $14 trillion), not 3 percent as the article claims. Also, the $81 billion is an estimate of the total cost of treating arthritis, not the incremental increase do to the higher than expected incidence. According to the article, the additional cost resulting from the increased incidence of the disease is $16 billion, a bit more than 0.1 percent of GDP. This is not trivial, but it will not break the bank.
The U.S. health care system has serious problems, and the population suffers from many serious and preventable health problems, but the Post should make the effort to try to get the story straight. The real news is bad enough.
I’m writing to you today with a sense of urgency that I haven’t felt since I began my journalism career. As executive editor of The American Prospect, I’ve witnessed firsthand how independent journalism serves as a crucial bulwark against the erosion of our democratic institutions. Today, that role is more vital than ever. Can you step up today and show your support?
The winds of authoritarianism are blowing stronger. We’re seeing alarming signs of a coordinated effort to silence critical voices and undermine the very foundations that support progressive causes. As Bob Kuttner presciently wrote in our August 2024 issue, a weaponized IRS could attack the very foundations of the progressive movement. We need readers to step up and help us dig in for the long haul.
We’re falling behind in our spring fundraising campaign, and with so much at stake we can’t afford to come up short. If you value fearless, independent journalism that holds the powerful accountable and defends democracy, now is the time to step up. The American Prospect depends on reader support to stay in the fight. Pitch in today and help us close the gap. Please consider making a donation today.
–David Dayen, Executive Editor
Copyright 2025 | The American Prospect, Inc. | All Rights Reserved