Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

By Mr. WYDEN:

S. 1181. A bill to provide for a demonstration project to examine whether community-level public health interventions can result in lower rates of chronic disease for individuals entering the Medicare program; to the Committee on Finance.

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Healthy Living, Healthy Aging Demonstration Project Act of 2009. This act will provide for a demonstration project to examine whether community-level public health interventions can result in lower rates of chronic disease for individuals who are about to enter the Medicare program. Prevention is a key to health at any age, but especially later in life. I am proud to be introducing a cornerstone of health care reform today.

American people and the U.S. Government need this prevention act for two main reasons. Health care costs continue to rise exponentially and chronic diseases are the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S. One hundred thirty-three million Americans, representing 45 percent of the total population, have at least one chronic disease. Chronic diseases kill more than 1.7 million Americans each year, and are responsible for 7 out of every 10 deaths in the U.S. Furthermore, the vast majority of cases of chronic disease could be better prevented or managed.

The World Health Organization has estimated that if the major risk factors for chronic disease were eliminated, at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes would be prevented, and that more than 40 percent of cancer cases would be prevented. In addition, depressive disorders are common, chronic, and costly. The World Health Organization identified major depression as the fourth leading cause of worldwide disease in 1990, causing more disability than even certain types of heart disease. Research shows that mental health screenings after disease diagnosis for diabetic patients can be cost effective and improve health.

The Healthy Living, Healthy Aging Demonstration Project Act of 2009 will address these costly and chronic health problems before people enter the Medicare program. It calls for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide 5-year grants to community partnerships that include the state or local public health department and other community stakeholders such as health centers, providers, small businesses, and rural health clinics to fund evidence-based community-level prevention and wellness strategies. The types of community-based prevention strategies we are looking at in this program include walking programs, group exercise classes, anti-smoking programs, programs to highlight healthy dining options at restaurants, and expanding access to farmer's markets, nutritious foods, and other programs and services recommended by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services.

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS and in partnership with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC would implement the demonstration program to test whether these public health interventions targeting 55-64 year olds result in lower rates of chronic disease and reduce costs for the Medicare program. One assessment level of the act will measure the effects of adopting healthy lifestyle strategies on specific individuals who enroll in prevention programs in their communities.

More specifically, program requirements in this act include an individual
health screening conducted by the state or local public health department or its designee. An individual health screening will include the appropriate test for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and tobacco use. Insured individuals who screen positive for chronic disease will be referred for treatment and for mental health screening and treatment to their existing providers or in-network providers. Individuals identified with chronic disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure or obesity, would be engaged in the community health interventions funded through the demonstration, such as walking programs, group exercise classes, or anti-smoking programs. Uninsured individuals who screen positive for chronic disease would be referred to the pre-selected clinical referral source for the demonstration site. Uninsured individuals who do not screen positive for chronic disease will receive information on healthy lifestyle choices and may also enroll in community level prevention interventions.

This program will not only conduct community-based prevention strategies, screenings and health assessments, but also help support follow-up care for uninsured individuals identified with chronic diseases, including determining eligibility for public programs.

I would like to thank Dr. Mary Polce-Lynch from Randolph-Macon College, who has been working in my office through the American Psychological Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Daniella Gratale from Trust for America's Health, for their work on this important prevention bill.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation to help Americans adopt the healthiest lifestyles possible and to prevent chronic diseases in later life.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source