Coalition Asks Candidates to Address True Driver of Health Care Cost Increases Not Discussed in the CNN/YouTube Republican Debate
Presidential hopefuls urged to confront nation's chronic disease crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 28, 2007) - The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) called on presidential candidates to address America's chronic disease epidemic following tonight's CNN/YouTube Republican Debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., during which none of the candidates discussed solutions to our nation's most deadly and costly health care problem.
"The participants in tonight's debate missed a valuable opportunity to discuss the number one issue affecting the affordability of health care in the U.S. -- and that is the growing problem of chronic disease," said PFCD Executive Director Ken Thorpe. "The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease urges all candidates to offer solutions to the chronic disease crisis, because cutting health care costs means confronting the most deadly and costly illnesses."
Chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, are the number one cause of death and leading driver of rising health care costs in America. They account for seven out of 10 deaths and 75 percent of every health care dollar spent in the U.S. These are conditions that, with proper early intervention, diet, and exercise, could be prevented, delayed, or minimized. More than 130 million Americans today have a chronic disease.
On Sept. 25, the PFCD issued a five-part policy platform called "Ideas for Change," which outlines the need for improvement in chronic disease prevention, detection, and management, and provides recommendations for how to address this devastating epidemic. "Ideas for Change" is available on the PFCD Web site at: http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/advocate/platform/index.cfm.
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 80 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.
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