Health writer Bill Sardi has looked at a recent analysis of how getting vitamin D up to adequate levels could save Europe almost 18% of healthcare costs. Naturally he got to thinking what would happen if we Americans get our levels up to adequacy (not even optimum).
If we could get those same benefits, then over the next decade we would save $4.4 trillion in healthcare costs. That's enough to make up for the estimated $1.5 trillion shortfall if universal health care is offered.
By the way, Sardi is not suggesting that we have universal health care -- that would certainly lower health (health is driven by lifestyle primarily not access). On the contrary, he finds that we could boost our health and save money. He estimates that we could buy vitamin D in bulk for ten bucks a year per person -- yes, you read that right.
The really eye-catching fact about this is that the projected average yearly savings per person is $1346. Be careful about telling the politicians about this -- they'll probably make us cough up the ten bucks as a co-pay and justify increasing our taxes by $1346 per person.
You might take a look at Sardi's full article, A Decade of Vitamin D Supplementation...