In my previous blog, I wrote about Glen Smith's presentation on eldercare planning and the
difficult question he posed to our luncheon audience: what happens if you get sick and don't
die? At the same event, Dr. Nedeau, a family physician and longevity specialist, took that
question one step further. If so much of what makes us sick is preventable, why aren't we doing
more to prevent it?
Dr. Nedeau's message was personal from the start. Her father was a physician who emigrated
from the Philippines in the early 1970s. He lived to nearly 80 years old, which sounds like a
success on paper. But he was forced into early retirement in his 60s and spent the final years of
his life managing chronic disease. He had planned to keep working. His health had other plans.
She asked the room a simple question that I think every one of our clients should sit with: what if
your health interrupted your retirement plans?
The Numbers Behind the Problem
The scale of this issue is staggering. According to the CDC, 90% of the nation's annual
healthcare expenditures go toward managing chronic and mental health conditions.¹ These are
conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia, nearly all of which are preventable
through earlier intervention and lifestyle changes. We spend trillions of dollars each year
treating problems that, in many cases, did not have to become problems in the first place.
Health Span Over Lifespan
What stuck with me most from Dr. Nedeau's presentation was her distinction between lifespan
and health span. Living a long life is not the same as living a vibrant one. She challenged the
room to think about what the last ten or twenty years of their lives will look like. Will you be
active, engaged, and independent? Or will you be managing one condition after another?
As she put it to our audience:
"How do you think about investing in your health like you do your finances?
Health compounds just like your finances."
That analogy resonated with me because it is exactly how we think about wealth management.
Small, consistent, disciplined decisions made early produce dramatically better outcomes over
time. The same is true for your health. The choices you make today in how you eat, move,
sleep, and manage stress will compound over decades.
A Strategic Plan for Your Health
Dr. Nedeau described her concierge practice's approach as building a curated, strategic health
plan for each patient, something she compared directly to what we do at Cramer Capital
Management on the financial side. Just as we look at the full picture of a client's financial life
and develop a personalized strategy, her team looks at the full picture of a patient's health and
develops a plan to optimize it.
That idea of investing in generational health is powerful. We talk often about generational
wealth, about building something that lasts and benefits the people who come after you. Dr.
Nedeau made the case that generational health deserves the same level of attention and
planning.
Two Sides of the Same Conversation
What made our luncheon program so effective was the way these two sessions connected.
Glen Smith laid out the legal and logistical realities of what happens when health declines. Dr.
Nedeau made the case for doing everything in your power to delay or prevent that decline in the
first place. Together, they painted a complete picture: plan for the worst, but invest aggressively
in the best possible outcome.
As a wealth manager, I see this intersection every day. A client's financial plan is only as strong
as their health allows it to be. Medical expenses, long-term care costs, and early retirement due
to health issues can reshape even the most carefully constructed financial strategy. The more
proactive you are about your health now, the more control you retain over your financial future.
Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about longevity medicine and a proactive approach to your
health, I encourage you to connect with Dr. Nedeau's practice. And if you would like to discuss
how healthcare planning fits into your broader financial picture, our team at Cramer Capital
Management is always here to help.
Warm regards,
Bruce Cramer
President and Wealth Manager
Cramer Capital Management, LLC
100 N Mill St, Smithville, MO 64089
Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered
through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Cetera is under separate
ownership from any other named entity.
Sources
¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Conditions.
cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats
This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subjects covered. It is not
intended to provide specific legal, tax, or other professional advice. For specific professional assistance,
the services of an appropriate professional should be sought. Glen Smith, Dr. Nedeau, and their practice
are not affiliated with Cetera Wealth Services, LLC or Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Information is
believed to be from sources considered reliable; however, accuracy and completeness cannot be
guaranteed.