PFCD Executive Director Interviewed for Online Health Care Leadership Series
Washington, D.C. (September 18, 2008) - Ken Thorpe, Executive Director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is among the leaders in health care featured on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s online series, "Viewpoints: The Health Care Debate."
In an interview with Jackie Judd, Thorpe spoke about why the PFCD has made chronic disease the centerpiece of its advocacy efforts and the role that chronic diseases play in America’s high health care costs -- and future health care solutions.
"We believe that one of the major issues in health care reform is that health care costs too much. People with chronic conditions account for 75 percent of health care spending, and the growth of chronic disease accounts for about two-thirds of the rise in health care spending," said Thorpe. "We cannot make health care more affordable until we prevent and better manage chronic diseases."
Click here to watch the interview and read the transcript.
Viewpoints is a series featuring leaders of organizations representing health care providers, insurers, policymakers, employers, labor unions and consumers sharing their views on shortcomings in the nation's health care system and how it could be improved.
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
The PFCD is a national coalition of more than 100 patient, provider, community, business and labor groups, committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: poorly prevented and mismanaged chronic disease.
The PFCD's mission is to:
- Challenge policymakers - in particular, the 2008 presidential candidates - to make fighting chronic disease a top priority and discuss how they will address it in their health care proposals
- Educate the public about chronic disease and potential solutions for individuals, communities, and the nation
- Mobilize Americans to call for change in how policymakers, governments, employers, health institutions, and other entities approach chronic disease
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