June 19, 2015 Advocacy Alert
Protect the Prevention and Public Health Fund
Call Your Representatives Before Tuesday!
Quick action is needed to prevent the gutting of a valuable source of funding for prevention and wellness programming for older adults!
A bill (H.R. 1190) to strike a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) entitled the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) was modified this week to counter the cost of eliminating IPAB with an $8.85 billion cut to the ACA’s Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). A vote in the House is expected on Tuesday.
While taking no position on the underlying bill to strike IPAB, n4a is strenuously opposed to paying for this measure by cutting a critical source of funding for prevention and wellness programs for aging adults.
Take Action!
Call or email your Representatives today or Monday and urge them to vote no on H.R. 1190 because it would cut the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
STEP 1: Call (U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121) or email: www.house.gov to find your Members’ website comment forms.
STEP 2: Ask other advocates to do the same! Urge colleagues, advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls and write emails to their legislators, as well.
Background on PPHF
The Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) is a critical investment in promoting wellness and preventing the diseases that are a main driver of health care costs. Supporting evidence-based prevention and wellness programs for older adults is imperative, given the nation’s aging population and growing rates of chronic disease. More than 80 percent of Americans age 65 and older have at least one chronic condition, and half have at least two. Costs, both in terms of health care dollars and disability rates, are staggering. Among older adults, chronic conditions account for nearly 95 percent of health care expenditures and limit the activities of millions of people, decreasing their productivity and ability to live independently.
That’s why, as outlined in our 2015 Policy Priorities, n4a urges lawmakers and administrators to build upon proven, cost-effective evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs for older adults at the community level, including chronic disease self-management and falls prevention programs provided by the Aging Network under the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leadership. These programs deliver proven results and reduce Medicare and Medicaid costs.
In FY 2015, $8 million of the PPHF went to ACL to support the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, and $5 million supported falls prevention activities.
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or n4a’s policy positions, please contact Autumn Campbell at acampbell@n4a.org and Amy Gotwals at agotwals@n4a.org.
Read this n4a Advocacy Alert in a PDF.