ABSTRACT
I have attempted to describe some of the challenges and opportunities that will be bearing down on us with regard to providing health care in the U.S. and around the world. Clearly, over the next several decades, an aging population will have a great impact on the demand for health care around the world. The number of people over age 85 is expected to grow from 3 million today to 20 million in the U.S. by 2020. Unless medical knowledge advances, almost half of that population, or nearly 10 million Americans, can expect to be suffering from some form of dementia. The stress and strain on the health care system to provide the needed care for this group alone will be enormous. Further, medical science continues to convert acute, relatively inexpensive, life-ending illnesses into chronic, long-term and expensive conditions. These advances will impact the lives of tens of millions. As a result, the financial capacity to pay for this care will be stretched to the breaking point.
