Abstract

The Affordable Care Act and other federal initiatives are fostering the emergence of a coherent vision for chronic disease prevention that has never before existed in the United States. This investment in population health and prevention comes not a moment too soon. Health care costs are proving very difficult to control and are rising at an unsustainable rate, driven in part by sky-rocketing chronic disease rates.This article looks at how a health system can engage in prevention activities beyond the clinical setting and makes a strong case that these interventions will result in documented cost savings. We first examine an individually targeted strategy that helps patients obtain health insurance coverage. This strategy furthers a hospital's goal of receiving reimbursement for care while also having the social benefit of increasing patients’ economic stability.