[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17835]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TAKING CONTROL OF SKYROCKETING COSTS

  (Mrs. DAHLKEMPER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, any meaningful attempts to create long-
term, sustainable health care reform must begin by taking control of 
our skyrocketing costs. That means we must get serious about combating 
obesity, a preventable disease that costs this country $117 billion. To 
that end, I have introduced two pieces of legislation.
  The first bill is called the Obesity Treatment and Wellness Act of 
2009, which addresses the fact that half the costs associated with 
obesity are paid through Medicare and Medicaid. My legislation directs 
Medicaid to pay for nutrition counseling, which can effectively treat 
this disease.
  My second bill, the Healthy Communities Act of 2009, sets up a 5-year 
public-private community grant program to encourage a community 
approach to promoting wellness and fighting obesity.
  Mr. Speaker, only when we make wellness a major component of our 
reform efforts can we expect to get control of costs. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in this effort to ensure quality, affordable 
health care that works for all Americans.

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