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Originally published in The Tennessean, August 2025

Every day, chronic disease quietly shapes our lives and economic future. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancers and others now account for roughly 90% of our nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual health care spend. Not to mention they shorten lives, put a strain on our workforce and affect our ability to be present for our loved ones.

Many of these conditions are preventable. Yet, we often default to treatment over prevention.

Screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies and others are often covered under many health plans. And when healthy habits are paired with annual wellness exams, which are included in most health plans, they form a strong first line of defense against preventable diseases.

Still, many people delay or skip these exams or screenings, likely because they’re unaware of the long-term consequences of letting preventable diseases go unchecked.

I’ve seen firsthand how chronic disease can take root and grow over time – often without symptoms until it’s too late. But I’ve also seen how early action, education and support can change the course of someone’s health journey. I have a strong family history of stroke. So, I’ve had to take my own preventive care seriously by monitoring my blood pressure, staying active and even taking medication when needed.

I know these preventive measures won’t eliminate the risk completely. But, they give me the best chance to live well alongside the people I care about and avoid serious complications.

As a health care leader, I believe we have a responsibility to make prevention easier, more accessible, and more rewarding. However, I know simply shifting from treating illness to preventing it is not always easy.

At BlueCross, we’re working hard to help our members pursue prevention. We’ve embedded personalized screening tools into our member platforms, making it easier for people to know what care they need and when.

Last year alone, more than 1 million BlueCross members received personalized health planners recommending preventive screenings, immunizations or chronic condition care.

We’re also partnering with community organizations to address social factors that affect health, like access to food, housing and transportation.

Our next Healthy Tennessee report will take this a step further because we’ve seen firsthand that making lifestyle changes isn’t easy to do if you experience more risk factors than others.

So, we’re expanding our analysis to explore how factors like income, education and neighborhood conditions affect not just who gets screened, but who manages their condition well and who gets better.

For business leaders, this is a call to action.

Encourage preventive care among your workforce. This isn’t just compassionate, it’s cost-effective. Healthier employees mean lower costs and stronger performance. It’s also a signal to your team that their well-being matters.

For individuals, the message is simple: advocate for yourself while you’re well.

1. Don’t wait until you’re sick to engage with the health care system. Build a relationship with a primary care provider (PCP), even if it’s through telehealth where you can choose your provider and see the same one regularly.
2. If you have insurance, take advantage of your benefits, especially those that come at no or low cost. Get a wellness visit. Get your screenings. And if your doctor prescribes medication for a chronic condition, take it on schedule.
3. When choosing a health plan, consider your family history and health needs. A cheaper plan may cost more later if preventive care is neglected.

Simply put, health management should be preventive, not reactive.

It’s not about waiting for symptoms; it’s about catching issues early, when they’re most treatable. And prevention still matters, even if you’re managing a chronic condition. From regular checkups to taking medications as prescribed, these actions can help avoid complications.

We owe it to our customers to understand where outcomes start to diverge – and how we can intervene earlier and more effectively. Let’s make prevention the foundation of our health care strategy in Tennessee. It’s the smartest investment we can make for our health and our economy.