Chronic Disease: An Election Issue

With the first 2008 presidential primaries now mere weeks away, issues important to all Americans are gaining momentum in the national dialogue. As voters evaluate the candidates vying for their support, they must decide who best addresses their priorities and concerns.

The Alliance has joined with more than 90 other organizations that have formed The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) — a coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to making chronic disease a key issue in the upcoming election.

As candidates debate the state of our national health care system and roll out their health care plans, it is crucial that they include prevention and treatment of chronic disease in their plans to improve health care in this country. No other health issue has as much impact on Americans’ quality of life or the rising cost of health care.

Chronic disease: A Costly Burden

Candidates commonly address the issue of how to pay for skyrocketing health care costs. Finding a way to pay for health care is incredibly important; however, any proposal is shortsighted and incomplete if it does not also articulate a vision for controlling those costs — costs that are overwhelmingly fueled by chronic disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases cause seven out of every 10 deaths in the United States, killing more than 1.7 million Americans each year. They also account for more than three-fourths of the nation’s annual health care spending. Many of these diseases -- such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes -- hit older Americans especially hard and in disproportionate ways.

Yet the American public remains largely unaware of the weight chronic disease places on our overburdened health care system. Fewer than one in six Americans are aware that chronic disease consumes so much of the health care budget or takes so many lives.

Taking the Fight to the People

The PFCD is committed to educating Americans about chronic diseases and ways to fight them more effectively, and mobilizing them to demand action from their policymakers through the 2008 elections and beyond.

The coalition is focusing its initial efforts on grass-roots activities in high-profile presidential primary states in order to educate voters and candidates on the issues. The PFCD is encouraging voters to hold candidates responsible for articulating their plans to fight chronic disease and reduce its burden on America’s people and its health care budget.

No other single issue has the same potential to significantly reduce spending and improve quality of life for all Americans. As our older population grows, the burden of chronic disease only stands to worsen. By engaging in the presidential primary process, it is possible for voters to make a difference.

What You Can Do

As you evaluate your choices during this primary season, it is important to carefully review the candidates’ health care proposals to learn how they plan to address chronic disease. To learn more about their proposals visit:

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: 2008 Presidential Candidate Health Care Proposals: Side-by-Side Summary

The New York Times Election Guide 2008

To learn more about the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and to find out how you can get involved, visit www.fightchronicdisease.org. You can sign a petition to voice support for the fight against chronic disease, learn how successful programs are winning battles against chronic disease nationwide, access research about healthy living, and stay informed about the latest news about health and wellness, and health care policies.