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National Association of Chronic Disease Directors NACDD ApplaudsPresident...

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) applauds President Obama for discussing the important health and cost benefits associated with incorporating prevention into the health care system at his White House town hall meeting on Wednesday evening.

With nearly half of Americans suffering from at least one chronic condition and these diseases driving 75 percent of health care costs, it is vital that our health care system place greater emphasis on prevention and chronic disease management, said John Robitscher, NACDD Executive Director. We are pleased that President Obama supports a greater emphasis on prevention within the system and hope that it will remain a key component of health care reform proposals in Congress.

According to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey, a lack of emphasis on prevention is the second most important health care concern to Americans after costs. One in five Americans picked prevention as the biggest problem in the health care system and some participants felt that a greater empha's172;sis on prevention and/or wellness was the most important step that could be taken to reduce the costs of health care.

As Congress works toward the historic goal of comprehensive health care reform, we hope that their efforts will reflect the opinions of the American people. Americans want more emphasis on prevention in their health care system, said Robitscher. By re-orienting our system to better support prevention, we can reduce our skyrocketing health care costs and our nation'ss high rates of chronic disease, which are driving much of those costs.

More than 45 percent of Americans, or 133 million people, have at least one chronic disease. Annually, the United States spends $1.65 trillion or 75 percent of all health care spending on patients with one or more chronic diseases, and even higher percentages in Medicare (96%) and Medicaid (83%).

About the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a national public health association for chronic disease program directors of each state and U.S. territory. The NACDD works to reduce the impact of chronic diseases on the American population by advocating for preventive policies and programs, encouraging sharing of knowledge and developing partnerships for health promotion. (www.chronicdisease.org).

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