For Immediate Release              
CONTACT: Jennifer Burke — Communications Director
Jennifer.burke@fightchronicdisease.org
 

Washington, D.C. (March 2, 2016) Americans in communities across the U.S. are banding together and calling on our nation’s political leaders and presidential hopefuls to address the number one cause of death, disability and ever increasing health spending in America: chronic disease. A petition now signed by more than 55,000 Americans highlights the fact that voters recognize the serious need to address chronic disease, not only to improve our lives and strengthen our economy, but also because prevention and improved health management can work. 
 
We need leaders that are focused on developing programs and policies to foster a health care system that works better to prevent, detect, treat, and manage chronic disease. In doing so, our nation’s health care story can and will be changed in important and measurable ways that improve the lives of millions of Americans and strengthen our economy. Chronic diseases affect us all, as an individual or as a caregiver: more than one in two American adults lives with at least one chronic condition and nearly one in three live with two or more chronic conditions. In addition to accounting for 90 cents of every dollar spent on health care, lives are at stake: this is clearly an effort that demands the attention of our nation’s current and future leaders. 
 
“Americans with chronic disease are paying 2.5 times more in annual health care costs, there has got to be a better way to prevent costly chronic disease and better manage health care for the millions struggling daily. The good news is this is a solvable problem, and with committed leadership and a coordinated approach, we can transform our health care system, vastly improve population health, save lives, AND strengthen our economy,” said Ken Thorpe, chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
 
PFCD and its partners will continue in their efforts to challenge, educate and mobilize policymakers, presidential candidates especially, and all stakeholders in both the public and private sectors in order to elevate chronic disease prevention and advocate for policies to implement better health management. The coalition has run television advertisements highlighting the importance of addressing chronic disease throughout the presidential debates, and will continue encouraging Americans to have their voice heard by signing the petition and voting for better health in the upcoming elections.
 
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The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an international coalition of hundreds of patient, provider, community, 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: chronic disease. Learn more by visiting www.FightChronicDisease.org.