[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 470 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 470

     Expressing support for the designation of October 1, 2019, as 
   ``National Health Literacy Day'' to recognize the value of health 
 literacy in transforming and improving health and healthcare for all 
                      people in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2019

Mr. Levin of California (for himself, Mr. Gianforte, Mr. Rouda, and Mr. 
   Cox of California) submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing support for the designation of October 1, 2019, as 
   ``National Health Literacy Day'' to recognize the value of health 
 literacy in transforming and improving health and healthcare for all 
                      people in the United States.

Whereas health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to 
        obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services 
        needed to make appropriate health decisions;
Whereas, based on a national assessment, a majority of adults have intermediate 
        health literacy, while more than 75 million adults had basic or below 
        basic health literacy;
Whereas mental health literacy is defined as knowledge and beliefs about mental 
        disorders that aid in their recognition, management, or prevention;
Whereas good mental health literacy may lead to better outcomes for those with 
        mental disorders, particularly those with suicidal ideation, either by 
        facilitating early help-seeking or by helping others identify early 
        signs of mental disorders and seek help on behalf of another;
Whereas language differences, cultural barriers, and low health literacy have 
        been described as a ``triple threat'' to effective health communication 
        between providers and patients that could harm the delivery of quality 
        care for communities of color;
Whereas, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, low health 
        literacy is consistently associated with increased hospitalizations, 
        greater emergency care use, lower use of mammography, lower receipt of 
        influenza vaccine, poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications 
        appropriately, poorer ability to interpret labels and health messages, 
        and, among seniors, poorer overall health status and higher mortality;
Whereas experts estimate that the cost of low health literacy to the United 
        States economy is between $106 billion to $238 billion annually;
Whereas, when health literacy is measured, it has been shown that--

    (1) individuals with low health literacy scores had higher rates of 
diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure;

    (2) States with high health literacy have lower rates of diabetes, 
obesity, and high blood pressure and have lower costs of prescription drugs 
purchased under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) than States with low health literacy; 
and

    (3) there is a strong correlation between health literacy and 
healthcare costs, which are a serious challenge for individuals, families, 
and society as a whole;

Whereas measuring health literacy is an objective process that produces results 
        that can be scientifically obtained, measured, reported, assessed, 
        improved, and rewarded;
Whereas, while such measurement has already begun through data-driven means, 
        such measurement has not been systematically used to assess individual 
        health literacy and improve the health system throughout the United 
        States;
Whereas health literacy holds great promise to transform the health 
        consciousness of people in the United States and around the world, and 
        is essential for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the 
        healthcare system in preventing diseases and illness, improving wellness 
        and longevity, improving patient care and outcomes, and reducing 
        healthcare costs;
Whereas health literacy empowers individuals to better engage in their health 
        and with trained health professionals and caregivers because they are 
        better educated about their bodies and how they work;
Whereas people have the right to health information that helps them make 
        informed decisions, and health education and services should be 
        delivered in ways that are easy to understand and that improve health, 
        longevity, and quality of life;
Whereas knowledge of health and improvements in health literacy can encourage 
        individuals to take action on their health that can improve their health 
        status and lower their costs despite their health status;
Whereas, despite the breathtaking advances in reading literacy over the last 
        century that have led to impressive economic, societal, and cultural 
        advances, there is little systematic effort in the United States to 
        improve health literacy generally, through public programs specifically 
        and with individuals particularly;
Whereas, in 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services produced a 
        National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy that lays out seven 
        goals, including research and interventions to improve health literacy, 
        but that action plan does not directly encourage patients to become more 
        health literate or knowledgeable, has not been updated, and the 
        recommendations contained in such action plan have not been implemented 
        or reviewed;
Whereas it is necessary to continue activities that are foundational to 
        healthcare modernization and improvement in the United States, 
        including--

    (1) improving health literacy, IQ, knowledge, and education about how 
the body works and how to maintain health appropriately;

    (2) promoting innovation in wellness and prevention; and

    (3) expanding rewards and incentives for healthy behavior; and

Whereas organizations have recognized the month of October as ``Health 
        Literacy'' month to encourage doctors and other health professionals to 
        take an online health literacy assessment and provide education to 
        improve patient engagement: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of ``National 
        Health Literacy Day'';
            (2) encourages individuals to assess their health knowledge 
        and literacy, and urges the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services to adopt new tools and incentives immediately to 
        encourage individuals to assess and improve their health 
        knowledge and literacy;
            (3) calls on the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
        issue a new action plan on health literacy that--
                    (A) includes specific recommendations and concrete 
                steps to improve and incorporate incentives into 
                healthcare payment and delivery models that will 
                improve health literacy; and
                    (B) reflects the changes in knowledge and science 
                about health literacy and the evolution in healthcare 
                payment and delivery; and
            (4) encourages all interested parties to promote health 
        literacy to transform the health and healthcare system of the 
        United States.
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