What do you think of the information listed here to be used part of a campaign to persuade people that much more Federal support for medical research is necessary?
There are major economic consequences of not doing enough medical research. Advocates of medical research and humanitarians should understand this information.
The Federal Government spends fifty billion dollars more for space and military Research then they spend for medical research. I am not saying that they should spend less for space and military research. I am saying that the government should spend at least as much for medical research as they spend for military and space research.
1. The United States spends two trillion seven hundred billion dollars yearly for health care. In addition, we spend hundreds of billions of dollars yearly for Social Security Disability, Welfare, Food Stamps, Home Care, Special Transportation, etc. brought about by because of illnesses.
2. The Federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality claims that the medical utilization of the top 1% of patients is 21% of medical expenditures. Five percent of the people spend 50% of the health care costs.
3. That means that the top 1% of the people, which numbers about 3 million people, spends 560 billion dollars yearly for medical care. The top 5% of the American population uses 50% of the health care expenditures. That adds up to one trillion three hundred billion dollars for the care. The bottom 50% of the population uses only 75 billion dollars. That is for more than 150 million people. It is hard to believe but true.
4. If all people could become part of the top 50% of healthiness the United States Health care medical expenditure would go from two trillion seven hundred billion dollars all the way down to one hundred and fifty
billion dollars. That would be a savings of two trillion five
hundred five hundred billion dollars yearly. In addition
hundreds of billions of dollars would be saved yearly on
Welfare, Special transportation, etc
We cannot put everybody in the 50% category
Immediately. It is something to aim for.
5. The National Institutes of Health is the major medical research-funding agency of the Federal Government.
Its budget was cut 25% over the last few years. The
Government under funded medical research even before
the budget cuts. That makes the cuts so disastrous.
6. 9,332 Americans die of the top 8 illnesses every two days. Many others die of other illnesses, daily.
By comparison, 5,269 Americans died during the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars over 11 years. Our service members deserve the highest honors for giving their lives in combat.
7. There are economic advantages to biomedical research besides health improvement. Explaining that to people will help interest them in advocating for medical research.
Because of the R&D necessary for going to the moon, we eventually developed the microcircuit, the MRI, improved dialysis machines and a lot of additional products. The medical technology coming out of additional medical research will help our economy.
