The United States is experiencing a decline in life expectancy despite high health care spending due to a multitude of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid epidemic, high burden of chronic disease, and systemic and structural inequities. A response proportional to this crisis is required. Valuing America’s Health: Aligning Financing to Reward Better Health and Well-Being explores opportunities to transform the current health and health care system to one that promotes whole person and whole population health. The publication emphasizes the need for a bold vision and sustainable financing strategies to prioritize health and well-being for all. Authors of the publication highlight the importance of building a movement to prioritize health, repairing systemic failures, holding stakeholders accountable, controlling health care costs, incentivizing health promotion, adopting collaborative financing and policy-making approaches, and empowering individuals and communities in health decision-making. The way is clear; what is needed now is the will to move forward. Learn more about how to ensure our nation’s health and health care system can support optimal health for all.

Contents

• ABOUT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
• VALUING AMERICA’S HEALTH: ALIGNING FINANCING TO REWARD BETTER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
• DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
• NAM LEADERSHIP CONSORTIUM
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• REVIEWERS
• PREFACE
• ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
• INTRODUCTION AND INITIATIVE BACKGROUND
  • DEFINITIONS
  • CLARIFYING THE ROLE OF PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
  • REFERENCES
• 1. VALUING AMERICA’S HEALTH
  • A NEED FOR URGENT ACTION
  • REFERENCES
• 2. A VISION FOR BETTER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 3. PRIORITIZING WHOLE PERSON AND WHOLE POPULATION HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
  • SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION’S NUKA SYSTEM OF CARE
  • VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION’S WHOLE HEALTH SYSTEM OF CARE
  • ADVENTIST HEALTH’S BLUE ZONES
  • EMPLOYER-BASED WORKSITE WELLNESS PROGRAMS
  • SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS
  • MARYLAND ALL-PAYER AND TOTAL COST OF CARE MODEL
  • HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS EQUITY FUND
  • CHI HEALTH CARE/THE CASEY HEALTH INSTITUTE
  • THIRD-PARTY INVESTOR COLLABORATION IN COMMUNITY WELLNESS
  • PROGRAM OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
  • MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SPECIAL NEEDS PLANS
  • MEDICAID LONG-TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS
  • COMMUNITY AGING IN PLACE: ADVANCING BETTER LIVING FOR ELDERS
  • SELF-DIRECTED MEDICAID SERVICES
  • COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO PUBLIC GOOD INVESTMENTS
  • FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 4. INVESTMENT GOALS AND PRIORITY ACTIONS
  • GOALS
  • OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAKEHOLDER ACTION
  • CONCLUSION
  • REFERENCES
• 5. HEALTH TRANSFORMATION THROUGH DISRUPTIVE CHANGE
  • REFERENCE
• Appendix A. FINANCING THAT REWARDS BETTER HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WORKSHOP SERIES PARTICIPANT SUGGESTIONS
• Appendix B. STAKEHOLDER-SPECIFIC PRIORITY ACTIONS BY IMPACT AND FEASIBILITY
• Appendix C. ILLUSTRATIVE MODELS OF IMPLEMENTING WHOLE PERSON, WHOLE POPULATION HEALTH PRIORITY ACTIONS

Suggested citation:

National Academy of Medicine. 2024. Valuing America’s Health:Aligning Financing to Reward Better Health and Well-Being. Hm. Pham, M. Chesney, D. Chisolm, D. Erickson, C. Koller, P. Long, L. G. Moore, L. M. Nichols, A. Offodile, C. Powell, J. Sharfstein, D. Shurney, S. Szanton, J. Lee, J. L. Flaubert, M. Cocchiola, P. S. Chua, A. Anise, and A. Hunt, editors. NAM Special Publication. Washington, DC:The National Academies Press.

This publication has undergone peer review according to procedures established by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Publication by the NAM signifies that it is the product of a carefully considered process and is a contribution worthy of public attention but does not constitute endorsement of conclusions and recommendations by the NAM. The views presented in this publication are those of individual contributors and do not represent formal consensus positions of the authors’ organizations; the NAM; or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

This initiative was convened with support from the George Family Foundation, Nemours, Samueli Foundation, Well Being Trust, and Whole Health Institute. Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that assisted in the development of this project.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27141

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023948064

Printed in the United States of America.

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.

Willing is not enough; we must do.”

—GOETHE