[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1381 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 23, 2008.
Whereas the United States has the highest rate of preventable deaths among 19 
        industrialized U.N. nations and lags behind 28 other U.N. nations in 
        life expectancy;
Whereas various research studies estimate that nearly 60 percent of premature 
        deaths in the United States could be addressed through prevention 
        activities;
Whereas of the more than $2,200,000,000,000 spent nationally on health care in 
        the United States every year (more than any other nation in the world), 
        approximately $88,000,000,000 (or about 4 percent) is estimated to be 
        spent on prevention and public health;
Whereas chronic diseases are the leading causes of preventable death and 
        disability in the United States, accounting for 7 out of every 10 deaths 
        and killing more than 1,700,000 people in the United States every year;
Whereas these often preventable chronic diseases account for 75 percent of 
        health care spending in the United States, including more than 96 cents 
        out of every dollar spent in Medicare and more than 83 cents out of 
        every dollar spent in Medicaid;
Whereas these chronic diseases cost the United States an additional 
        $1,000,000,000,000 each year in lost productivity, and are a major 
        contributing factor to the overall poor health that is placing the 
        Nation's economic security and competitiveness in jeopardy;
Whereas the number of people with chronic conditions is rapidly increasing, and 
        it is estimated that if we do not intervene now that by 2025 nearly half 
        of the population will suffer from at least one chronic disease;
Whereas current research has shown that increasing to 90 percent the use of just 
        5 preventive services, including--

    (1) the portion of adults who take aspirin daily to prevent heart 
disease;

    (2) the portion of smokers who are advised by a health professional to 
quit and are offered medication or other assistance;

    (3) the portion of adults age 50 and older who are up to date with any 
recommended screening for colorectal cancer;

    (4) the portion of adults age 50 and older immunized against flu 
annually; and

    (5) the portion of women age 40 and older who have been screened for 
breast cancer in the past 2 years, would save more than 100,000 lives each 
year in the United States; and

Whereas research has shown that prevention and community-level interventions 
        that promote and enable proper nutrition, increased access to physical 
        activity, and smoking cessation programs can prevent and mitigate 
        chronic diseases, improve quality of life, increase economic 
        productivity, and reduce health care costs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes that in order to reduce the disease burden and health 
        care costs associated with preventable disease and injury, it is 
        imperative that this Nation strengthen its public health system to--
                    (A) encourage all persons in the United States to obtain the 
                proper information and educational resources they need to make 
                healthier choices and live healthier lives; and
                    (B) protect all people in this country from health threats 
                beyond their control, such as bioterrorism, natural disasters, 
                infectious disease outbreaks, and environmental hazards;
            (2) encourages the creation of public health strategies in the 
        public and private sectors to improve the health of all people in the 
        United States regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status;
            (3) supports public and private partnerships focusing on the 
        prevention of disease and injury, and encourages community-based 
        programs to support healthy lifestyles, including those that promote 
        proper nutrition and increased access to physical activity;
            (4) emphasizes the importance of the 5 prevention strategies of 
        daily aspirin therapy, smoking cessation, colorectal cancer screening, 
        annual flu immunizations, and breast cancer screening that can save more 
        than 100,000 lives each year;
            (5) believes that the congressional budget process should reflect 
        the significant savings associated with investments in prevention of 
        disease and injury, and therefore strongly encourages the Congressional 
        Budget Office to consider the health care savings associated with 
        reduced chronic disease burden due to clinical and community preventive 
        services and programs when formulating its health care cost estimates; 
        and
            (6) supports helping the United States be the healthiest nation by 
        encouraging an increased focus on public health and prevention efforts 
        in the public and private sectors.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.