PFCD Lauds Continued Momentum for Health Reform by Administration, Congress and Industry Leaders
Washington, DC (June 22, 2009) - The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) lauds the continued push toward health reform, including an $80 billion pledge jointly announced by the White House and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and encourages policymakers to focus on what’s needed to improve health care quality, reduce overall costs and provide coverage to every American: reducing costs associated with chronic disease.
"We’ve learned from past efforts that success in health care reform will require both commitment and compromise," said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., PFCD Executive Director. "We commend this announcement and others as indications that our nation’s leaders and leading health care groups understand that everyone will need to bring something to the table in order to bring higher quality, more affordable health care to every American."
Earlier this year, the PFCD applauded a pledge by leading health-care groups to reduce spending by nearly $2 trillion over the next decade. Many of the industry proposals following the pledge focused on reducing costs through better prevention and management of chronic diseases, better care coordination for chronically ill patients and an investment in community level resources.
"As the Administration, Congress and leading groups work together to find the savings necessary to fund comprehensive health care reform, the focus needs to remain on those efforts that can drive down costs. Fighting chronic disease - which affects nearly half of Americans and accounts for 75 percent of health care spending - offers some of the largest potential for savings," said Thorpe. "By making fundamental delivery system changes with regard to how we approach and coordinate care for chronically ill patients, we will be able to improve patient care and reduce health care costs."
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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