[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16196-16197]
[From the U.S. 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 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

[[Page 16197]]

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.

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