Event Archive
Ohio Groups Unite Behind Essential Element in Health Reform
PFCD Analyzes Key Provisions in Health Care Legislation Released To-Date
August 26, 2009
(COLUMBUS) — Representatives from business, labor, health provider and public health groups gathered today to remind Congress that only through prevention and management of chronic disease will we realize long-term cost savings and health promotion, when it comes to health reform legislation.
While they may differ fundamentally on a number of health reform-related issues, they all agree that chronic diseases, which include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, cancer, hypertension and depression, and account for 75 percent of all health care spending nationally, must be addressed for any health reform measure to be successful. The groups represented today are among the more than 100 organizations that make up the Ohio chapter of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD).
“We participate in this coalition because we believe strongly that any comprehensive reform must include prevention or it won’t be sustainable,” said Tim Burga, chief of staff for Ohio AFL-CIO. “We are very pleased to be at the table with the employers, providers and the public health communities to ensure our leaders understand the importance of prevention. This isn’t just about getting control of the rising cost of health care this is about our economy and our overall quality of life.”
In the last six months, Ohio PFCD focused its efforts primarily on outreach activities to engage Ohio’s Congressional delegation and staff in discussions regarding the economic impact of chronic disease, best practices for prevention, the national PFCD platform, and budget scoring issues.
As the August recess concludes and Congress reconvenes to move forward with health reform legislation, the PFCD has offered lawmakers recommendations for how they can better improve quality and reduce spending over the long-term, through its Hitting the 'Bulls-eye' in Health Reform publication. Those recommendations include:
- Rollout evidence-based models for nationwide coordination of care in Medicare within the next three years;
- Immediately expand the types of treatments in Medicare that would be paid on a “value,” not “volume,” basis;
- Aggressively promote chronic disease prevention in the traditional health care system and beyond;
- Remove barriers patients face to avert the development and progression of chronic illness; and,
- Move from a paper-based system to a high-tech system that helps to coordinate care.
PFCD has continued to urge members of Ohio’s Congressional delegation to learn from the experience of local employers and other organizations that have implemented wellness programs that have significantly impacted cost and productivity.
"From the inception of our wellness program, we've seen associates actively engaged in managing their health and significantly improving workplace productivity. Our associates who participated in the first three years of the program are seeing results including a 38 percent increase in physical activity and a 17 percent reduction in tobacco use. Associates have also logged more than 6.5 billion steps in the last two years in the company’s walking program," said Kathleen Herath, associate vice president of Health and Productivity at Nationwide. “Nationwide believes in the role of prevention and health management so much, that we started Nationwide Better Health in 2006 to help companies in Ohio and around the nation manage rising health care costs and improve productivity by providing their employees with health screenings, lifestyle coaching and chronic disease prevention and management.”
According to Jenny Camper of the Ohio PFCD chapter, much of the success of the initiative can be attributed to the access that lawmakers have given the PFCD partners. Since the launch of the program, the Ohio PFCD has hosted a series of roundtable discussions throughout the state with lawmakers and joined partner organizations in meetings with members and staff in Washington. The Ohio PFCD has also utilized regular email updates and intercepts during public health reform events to keep policymakers and partners informed of any new developments.
“Chronic disease affects more than half of Ohioans and accounts for seventy-five percent of overall health spending in the U.S.,” said Jenny Camper of the Ohio PFCD. “For nearly two years our mission has been to make the case for policies that promote prevention. We are pleased of the progress they have made in addressing disease prevention thus far however, there is more work to be done and bolder action needed.”
The PFCD is a national coalition 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
In addition to Tim Burga and Kathleen Herath, Jonathan Archey, director of federal relations for the Ohio Hospital Association, and Jason Orcena, president of the Ohio Public Health Association, also participated in the news conference.
For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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