Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Issues Voter Guide
Candidates answer the question: "How will you address chronic disease as President of the United States?"
COLUMBIA, SC (Jan. 23, 2008) - The South Carolina Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), speaking for dozens of bi-partisan state partner organizations - comprised of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and their thousands of constituents - today released a comprehensive voter guide to aid voters in the state's upcoming presidential preference primaries.
"The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease voter guide can be a great tool for the millions of voters who want answers on chronic disease," said Dr. Andrew A. Sorensen, President of The University of South Carolina and SC PFCD Advisory Board member. "Any voter who wants our next president to directly address chronic disease, the primary cause of death and the number one driver of health care costs in America, will find valuable information in these pages."
The South Carolina PFCD challenged presidential candidates from both political parties to answer the question, "How will you address chronic disease should you be elected President" and provided them with the Policy Platform developed and released by national PFCD leaders. The policy platform provides a suggested range of options to address chronic disease.
The five key goals outlined in the PFCD policy platform are:
- Advance sustainable chronic disease prevention models
- Promote healthy lifestyles & disease prevention
- Encourage & reward advances in clinical practice & research
- Accelerate improvements of health information technology
- Reduce health disparities
Each candidate was given the opportunity to address the issue of chronic disease in a general way and to provide specific policy proposals.
The responses provided to the PFCD are listed in the voter guide.
"The terrible toll of chronic disease knows no political boundaries," said Tim Ervolina, President of United Way Association of South Carolina and SC PFCD Advisory Board member. "That’s why thousands of voters across party lines are rallying behind our message: If candidates aren’t talking about chronic disease, they are not talking about health care. We encourage all voters concerned about chronic disease to review the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease voter guide."
View the voter guide in our "Advocate for Change" section »
The full policy platform can be accessed here »
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national 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.
The PFCD's mission is to:
- Challenge policymakers - in particular, the 2008 presidential candidates - to make the issue of chronic disease a top priority and articulate how they will address the issue through 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
Leaders in the effort represent more than 85 leading organizations from across health care, business and labor including Aetna, American Academy of Family Physicians, Alliance for Aging Research, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American College of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Preventive Medicine, American Hospital Association, American Pharmacists Association Foundation, Disease Management Association of America, Kerr Drug, Integrated Benefits Institute, International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, NAACP, Milken Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, National Medical Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Service Employees International Union, Sheet Metal Workers International Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and YMCA of the USA, among others.
For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: http://www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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