[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7026-S7027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. REID. Madam President, one-sixth of every dollar that is spent in 
America goes to health care today. If we do nothing with health care, 
by the year 2020 it will be 35 percent. Think about that. That is just 
11 years from now. So it is obvious that crushing health care costs 
leave many families uninsured and underinsured and drive far too many 
into bankruptcy or foreclosure.
  When we discuss our country's health care crisis with our 
constituents next week when we go home for the July 4th break and when 
we debate it with our colleagues in this Chamber in the coming months, 
they will talk about how best to relieve that burden. There are a lot 
of good ideas, but one of the best ways to bring down the cost is by 
preventing disease and illness in the first place.
  Prevention and wellness are based on a simple premise: The less you 
get sick today, the less you will have to pay tomorrow. Part of 
reforming health care means making it easier for Americans to make 
healthier choices and live healthier lives. We are far from that goal 
and need to do a better job of making that possible. More than half of 
all Americans live with at least one chronic condition, and those 
conditions cause 70 percent of all deaths in America. So doesn't it 
make sense to stop them before they start? The obvious answer is yes.
  It is not just a health issue, it is also an economic issue. 
Prevention isn't

[[Page S7027]]

free, but it is a lot cheaper to invest in health before it is too 
late. Unfortunately, that investment is peanuts right now. We spend 
only 4 cents out of every health care dollar toward preventing disease. 
That is far too little. Although we spend only 4 cents of every dollar 
toward preventing disease, we spend 75 cents of every health care 
dollar caring for people with chronic conditions. It isn't enough just 
to treat and cure disease, we must also prevent disease and help people 
stay healthy. Reducing the number of us who suffer from chronic 
diseases will cut costs and help more Americans lead healthier and more 
productive lives. It is the same principle we bring to health care 
reform overall. Reform isn't free, but it is a lot cheaper to invest in 
our citizens' health, our country's health, and our economy's health 
before it is too late.

  Everyone needs to listen, especially based on my colleague's 
statement he just gave. We Democrats are committed to lowering the high 
cost of health care. We Democrats want to ensure every American has 
access to that quality, affordable care, and letting people choose 
their own doctors, hospitals, and health plans. We are committed to 
protecting existing coverage when it is good, improving it when it is 
not, and guaranteeing health care to the millions--including 9 million 
children--who have no health care.
  We are committed to a plan that says: If you like the coverage you 
have, you can keep it. We are committed to reducing health disparities 
and encouraging early detection and effective treatment that saves 
lives. Just a small investment in prevention and wellness can make a 
big difference for American families. Reforming health care, doing so 
in the right way, and making that investment will help people get sick 
less often--and even when they do get sick, it will cost them less to 
get back on their feet. Benjamin Franklin famously said: ``An ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure.'' For Americans' physical health 
and America's fiscal health it may be worth much more.
  Madam President, I believe it is time to announce morning business.

                          ____________________