An increase in the proportion of millennials with chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression could cost the U.S. economy in a big way, the Daily Mail reported Nov. 7.
According to the Mail, a recent report from Blue Cross Blue Shield warned that millennials could be spending as much as $4,500 more on medications each year as rates of chronic disease in the population continue to surge. Millennials are also more likely to take time off work to deal with their health issues, meaning they’d be contributing less to the country’s economy.
The BCBS report found rates of depression, ADHD, high BP and high cholesterol among millennials rose 31%, 29%, 16% and 12%, respectively, between 2014 and 2017. If treatment for those conditions indeed costs the average millennial another $4,500 annually, that would mean the average millennial’s income would drop from $39,617 to $35,098 by 2027.
“Under the worst-case scenario, millennial healthcare costs could cimb 33%, according to the report,” Daily Mail reported Connor Boyd wrote. “If the trend continues and nothing changes, there could be an increase of more than 40% in death rates.”
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.