PFCD Commends Bipartisan Emphasis on Chronic Disease Prevention in Yesterday’s Health Reform Summit
Coalition Urges Policymakers to Continue to Focus on Critical Area of Reform Moving Forward
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease commends President Obama, and other national leaders participating in yesterday’s health reform summit, for continuing to emphasize the need for a focus on chronic disease prevention. This issue emerged as one of the few areas of discussion yesterday with bipartisan support.
"We commend the President for again highlighting the need to incentivize prevention within the health care delivery system," said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., PFCD Executive Director. "Too often in recent weeks, the issues of prevention and disease management have not received the attention they deserve - despite the fact that both Democrats and Republicans have supported investing in these areas as a means to improve health and quality of life and contain costs."
President Obama has introduced several ideas in his most recent proposal to improve workplace wellness, build healthy communities, advance science-based nutrition and prevention education, and increase preventive services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. In light of discussion at the summit, the PFCD continues to urge policymakers to focus on health reform ideas, such as disease prevention and wellness, where there is clear bi-partisan consensus in Congress and across the U.S.
Thorpe said that while many important ideas were included in the proposal and discussed at the summit, others - such as improved care coordination and delivery system reforms - still need to be more boldly addressed by both Congress and the White House.
"The Senate and House bills include language that would help to manage care transitions, facilitate Medicaid medical home options for patients with chronic conditions, and encourage adoption of standards that promote improvements in health outcomes for patients,” said Thorpe. “Efforts to prevent chronic disease cannot be successful unless they also address how health care services are paid for, delivered and managed.”
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national and state-based coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease.
For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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