Washington, D.C., January 31, 2006 – The American Public Health Association (APHA) today outlines five principles for improving and protecting the health of Americans.
APHA proposes these five principles be used to assess the impact of the administration’s health agenda as outlined in President Bush’s State of the Union address this evening. The agenda is expected to include new tax breaks for health care costs and transitioning to the utilization of electronic medical records.
These five criteria are:
- Costs of Health Care. Will the proposals make health care more affordable for Americans? Will the proposals cause individuals to forego care because of insurmountable out-of-pocket expenses? Studies show that individuals with consumer-directed health insurance plans and high-deductible insurance plans are more likely to spend a larger share of their income on out-of-pocket health care costs plus premiums than those in comprehensive health plans. The policy goal should be to reduce the growth of health care costs over time to make health care affordable.
- Quality of Health Care. Will the proposals reduce or eliminate disparities in health outcomes and care, curtail medical errors and otherwise ensure that Americans have access to the best medical care available? The evidence is clear that many in our nation, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, women, low-income Americans and those living in rural areas, receive a lower quality of health care with higher rates of illness, disability and premature death. The policy goal should be to improve the quality of care for all.
- Access to Health Care. More than 45 million Americans lack health insurance and rising health costs are keeping vital medical and public health services out of the reach of many and the problem is only getting worse. Will the proposals cause some currently uninsured individuals to become insured or make it worse? Will the proposals affect individuals who currently receive health insurance from their employers? The policy goal should be to ensure health care coverage for all.
- Health Infrastructure. Do the proposals address the weaknesses that stem from an eroding public health infrastructure? Do they address the growing work force shortages in health and public health practitioners, such as nurses, pharmacists and epidemiologists? There are tremendous health information and technology infrastructure needs. The policy goal should move the health and public health systems into the modern information age to allow improved data-driven decision-making. It should also support efforts to rebuild the pipeline for health and public health workers.
- Emphasis on Prevention. How much does our health care system focus on the front end – preventing disease, injury and death – rather than treating the more costly symptoms on the back end? APHA supports policies that encourage evidence-based preventive health services. In addition, the Public Health Service, including programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and pandemic flu planning and response, is a vital component of the nation’s health safety net and are instrumental in creating a healthier America and should be adequately supported. The policy goals should change the focus of the system towards prevention, which is cheaper and more cost-effective.
"We must ensure that these proposals are more than window dressing for our nation’s pressing health challenges," said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, APHA executive director. "Unless we seriously address the problems of increasing cost, inadequate quality, decreasing access and eroding infrastructure, we are destined to fail. By ignoring these fixes, we are in fact riding a stationary bike with full force and expecting to move forward, to no avail."
The American Public Health Association looks forward to working with the administration and Congress in finding solutions to better protect the public’s health. APHA supports the measures necessary to guarantee that Americans have access to primary and preventive health services that ensure their well-being.