PFCD Executive Director Praises the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Recommendations for Health Care Reform
Washington, DC (June 17, 2009) - Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) Executive Director Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., released the following statement today praising the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) health care reform recommendations:
"History has shown that bipartisan support is critical to successful reform, and nowhere is this more evident than in past attempts at reforming the health care system. The BPC and its leaders have shown a commitment to bipartisan collaboration and consensus-building, and their results are comprehensive recommendations that show significant promise to help change the way we deliver and receive care in this country."
"I am particularly pleased that the BPC recommendations, while covering many critical areas like quality, coverage, affordability and sustainability, note the importance of better prevention and care coordination for chronically ill patients. Patients with one or more chronic diseases account for 75 percent of health care costs in the United States, and even higher percentages in Medicare (96%) and Medicare (83%). Community level resources like the community health teams (CHTs) mentioned in the BPC report will be critically important to help prevent and manage chronic diseases and their resulting complications."
"As we move ahead in the process toward comprehensive reform, we hope that the Bipartisan Policy Center, together with organizations like the PFCD, will be able to move a bipartisan health care agenda forward and tackle our nation’s top cause of death, disability and health care spending - poorly prevented and mismanaged chronic illnesses."
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national and state-based 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. For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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