By some estimates, healthcare is only responsible for 10 percent of the factors related to longevity; the rest is dependent on genetics, socioeconomic circumstances and healthy habits. That means care alone is inadequate, and public policy should change to reflect that reality, says an editorial in the new edition of Population Health Matters, a quarterly publication of the Jefferson School of Population Health in Philadelphia.

"When it comes to taking control of our health we tend to focus on the wrong things," wrote Drew Harris, DPM, MPH, program director for health policy at the Jefferson School of Population Health. "Policy interventions that improve health are not just a moral imperative. Poor health outcomes result in higher premiums, lost worker productivity and increasing taxes."