[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 34 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 34

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that private health insurance 
companies should take a proactive role in promoting healthy lifestyles, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2003

 Ms. McCarthy of Missouri (for herself, Mr. Ryun of Kansas, Mr. Payne, 
  Mr. Wamp, Mrs. Christensen, and Mr. Frost) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
                              and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that private health insurance 
companies should take a proactive role in promoting healthy lifestyles, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson acknowledges that 
        $270,000,000,000 in health costs are caused by preventable diseases, 
        including $183,000,000,000 for heart disease alone, and has called 
        current policies of insurance companies ``wrongheaded'' for not doing 
        more to encourage people to stay healthy to prevent expensive illnesses;
Whereas obesity increases the risk of illness from more than 30 medical 
        conditions, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive 
        pulmonary disease, and diabetes, which account for 2/3 of all deaths in 
        the United States;
Whereas 61 percent of adults in the United States (120,000,000 people) are above 
        their target weight, and 13 percent of children and adolescents in the 
        United States are obese or overweight, a figure that has tripled since 
        1980;
Whereas from age 50 to 70, those who do not perform strength training lose a 
        quarter to a third of a pound of muscle every year and gain the same 
        amount in body fat;
Whereas weight training is proven to increase bone density and reduce 
        osteoporosis among men and women over 50 years old;
Whereas if the more than 88,000,000 inactive adults in the United States began 
        regular exercise, national medical costs would decrease by more than 
        $76,000,000,000 each year;
Whereas on June 20, 2002, President George W. Bush launched the Healthier US 
        fitness initiative to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage people 
        in the United States to increase their physical fitness;
Whereas the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 provides tax incentives for taxpayers 
        who are obese, but not for those who are active and healthy; and
Whereas providing incentives for exercise and strength training would help more 
        people become active and healthy and would decrease national medical 
        costs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Congress commends Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services Tommy Thompson for his efforts to encourage private 
        health insurance companies to take action to encourage people 
        in the United States to lead active lifestyles;
            (2) it is the sense of the Congress that private health 
        insurance companies should--
                    (A) do more to encourage people in the United 
                States to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle to 
                prevent expensive and painful illnesses;
                    (B) provide discounted premiums to those who 
                exercise regularly; and
                    (C) encourage frequent screening for diseases that 
                are easily treatable in their early stages; and
            (3) the Congress applauds private health insurance 
        companies that are already taking these actions.
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