By Brijesh 
Across the U.S., chronic diseases are stretching healthcare resources thin and driving up national spending. Diabetes stands out as one of the most expensive and prevalent conditions, impacting over 38 million Americans. During this growing crisis, Joe Kiani, founder of Masimo and Willow Laboratories, recognizes the urgent need to empower people to take proactive control of their well-being and personal health. Rather than focusing solely on treatment, which often begins after symptoms and complications appear, Kiani and other leaders are pushing for earlier, smarter investments in education and patient empowerment
The logic is straightforward. Preventing disease before it begins is not only more humane but also more cost-effective. Yet, for decades, the U.S. healthcare system has rewarded reactive care. That dynamic is beginning to shift, however, as policymakers, technologists, and entrepreneurs recognize that better outcomes and economic sustainability depend on proactive solutions. Preventive health strategies are becoming a foundational element in building a smarter, more equitable healthcare system. More stakeholders are recognizing that good health is often the result of everyday actions supported by the right systems.
The Cost of Waiting
Treating diabetes after diagnosis can be an expensive, lifelong commitment. According to the American Diabetes Association, the annual cost of diabetes in the U.S. has soared to $413 billion, with much of that attributed to hospitalizations and managing complications like kidney failure, heart disease, and amputations. For many, these complications emerge due to late diagnosis or inconsistent care.
This delayed approach doesn’t just impact individuals; it burdens employers, insurers, and public health programs like Medicare. A sizable portion of the healthcare budget is allocated to managing avoidable outcomes that might have been prevented with earlier interventions.
Investing in prevention, whether through early screening, education, or digital coaching platforms, reduces these downstream costs and helps people maintain independence and productivity. It’s a shift in thinking from managing decline to maintaining wellness.
Prevention by Design
Preventive care involves more than just checkups. It requires a system designed to detect risk early and support healthy behavior every day. That’s where innovations like Nutu™ come into play. Developed by Willow Laboratories, it is a digital health platform that blends personalized data, behavioral feedback, and real-time coaching to guide users in making smarter, more informed lifestyle choices.
This kind of design encourages consistent engagement, an essential feature of effective prevention. When individuals have daily insight into their behaviors, they’re better equipped to make healthier choices. Whether it’s managing diet, physical activity, or stress, the cumulative effect of small actions can reduce the likelihood of more serious health issues.
It’s this kind of proactive, person-centered system that makes prevention not just a goal but a tangible strategy. It offers people the opportunity to course-correct before their health deteriorates. It also allows healthcare systems to shift from high-cost interventions to long-term wellness planning.
A Smarter Allocation of Public Funds
While prevention efforts are growing, they still receive a fraction of the overall healthcare funding. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases account for about 90% of the nation’s $4.5 trillion annual healthcare expenditures, but only a small percentage of health budgets go toward preventive services.
Rebalancing this equation requires reimagining value. When dollars are invested in platforms and tools that delay or prevent the onset of disease, the return is longer-term, with fewer hospitalizations, medications, and lost workdays.
Public funding can be more effectively deployed when it supports technologies that identify high-risk individuals, engage them before complications arise, and monitor progress in real-time. This approach promotes better health outcomes, enhances fiscal responsibility, and makes more strategic use of limited resources.
Building Habits, Not Dependencies
Traditional healthcare often focuses on intervention, prescribing medication, performing surgery, or hospitalizing patients. While sometimes necessary, these approaches tend to foster dependency on care rather than empowerment. Prevention flips that script.
By centering care around daily decisions, prevention builds habits rather than dependencies. A platform encourages incremental improvements, using behavioral science to drive sustainable lifestyle changes.
This model is not about willpower alone; it’s about designing systems that make healthy choices easier, clearer, and more rewarding. Over time, those habits can replace reliance on costly interventions. Prevention, then, becomes a vehicle for autonomy, not just cost control.
Aligning Policy with Prevention
Progress in prevention also depends on policy. Coverage decisions made by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers often shape what tools are available to patients. When preventive platforms are not reimbursed, their reach remains limited, even if they are effective.
That’s why public-private partnerships are essential. Policymakers can work with innovators to pilot modern technologies, evaluate their effectiveness, and support them through funding mechanisms. Such collaborations also ensure that prevention reaches those who need it most, including historically underserved communities.
As these partnerships grow, they create pathways for integrating digital tools into public health programs, shifting the standard from late-stage care to early intervention. Policymakers are beginning to see prevention not as an optional upgrade but as a fundamental pillar of sustainable care.
Empowerment Through Insight
One of the strongest arguments for prevention is the autonomy it offers. Real-time data empowers individuals to understand how their choices affect their health at the moment, not just during an annual visit.
Joe Kiani, Masimo founder, notes, “Our goal with Nutu is to put the power of health back into people’s hands by offering real-time, science-backed insights that make change not just possible but achievable.” By putting users at the center of care and arming them with timely, personalized feedback, prevention becomes actionable and relatable.
This approach is not just about saving money. It is about restoring personal agency on the path to better health. It ensures that people are not passive recipients of care but active participants in maintaining their well-being.
Shaping a Culture of Prevention
Cultural change plays a significant role in how prevention is prioritized. For decades, healthcare messaging has centered around treatment, seeking help only after something goes wrong. Reframing this narrative requires sustained effort from educators, healthcare providers, and technology developers alike.
Prevention should not feel like a disruption. It should function as a natural part of daily life. That means designing platforms that fit seamlessly into busy lives and adapt to diverse routines in real-time. When prevention aligns with how people already behave, it becomes far more likely to succeed.
When we look at the mounting costs of chronic diseases, the prevention case becomes clear. It’s not just a moral imperative; it’s a financial strategy. By shifting upstream toward early identification, everyday behavior change, and consistent community support, we can slow the trajectory of disease and lay the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable healthcare system.