Our nation spent $1.7 trillion treating patients with chronic conditions in 2007—the equivalent of 34 million annual salaries of $50,000, according to the second annual Almanac of Chronic Disease. Among its findings: chronic disease treatments in the U.S. may add up to $150 billion in unnecessary healthcare spending; chronic care treatments are linked to nearly two-thirds of healthcare spending increases since the mid-1980’s; chronic disease accounts for 70% of all deaths in the U.S. The report shows that caring for the chronically is an expensive proposition.