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Press Release on health-related topics.

House ACA Replacement will Cripple the Nation’s Health, Trust for America’s Health Statement

Washington, D.C., May 4, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“As historic as the passage of the Affordable Care Act was, any passage of the American Health Care Act will be just as infamous.

Tens of millions of American citizens will lose coverage. And millions of people on private insurance and Medicaid may lose access to life- and cost-saving clinical preventive services.

In particular, the Meadows-MacArthur Amendment would permit states to eliminate the requirement around essential health benefits (EHBs) and allow for the discrimination of people with pre-existing conditions.

Research tells us time and again two truths: Americans with coverage of preventive services are more likely to access these services and investing in preventive services improves health and reduces costs, yielding massive returns on investment.

Additionally, the agencies responsible for keeping us safe daily from ever-increasing public health threats will have their budgets slashed.

If the bill eventually becomes law, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will lose 12 percent of its budget, of which a significant portion—$625 million a year—goes directly to state and local health departments.

This is a double whammy to the nation’s health.

Every day, the CDC and local public health departments are on the front lines in preventing disease outbreaks like Zika and Ebola, in protecting our children from lead poisoning, in lowering rates of heart disease, in stopping epidemics like prescription drug misuse and in helping people quit tobacco.

If the bill eventually passes, the results won’t be celebrated—they’ll be infamous.

We will likely see more overdoses and untreated STDs, rises in infant mortality and increases in innumerable other preventable health issues—not to mention mounting healthcare costs. All the while, our most vulnerable—the elderly, children, sick and less advantaged—will be at most risk.

That should not be the result of a health law.

We hope the United States Senate sees the many problems in the legislation.”

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

Federal Funding for Public Health Has Declined by $580 Million Since 2010, According to New Analysis

Washington, D.C., April 13, 2017 – Today, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) issued A Funding Crisis for Public Health and Safety: State-by-State Public Health Funding and Key Health Facts, 2017, which found that core funding for disease prevention and health promotion programs has declined by around $580 million federally and has remained flat in states since 2010 (adjusting for inflation).

The annual review demonstrates that cuts to federal funds have not been offset by increases to state and local funding.  Adjusting for inflation:

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) core budget has decreased by more than $580 million since 2010.  In fiscal year 2016, the agency’s budget was $7.17 billion ($22.26 per person).
  • State public health spending has remained relatively level since 2010 ($11.5 billion total in 2015-2016, median spending $31.62 per capita). 

The President’s proposed FY 2018 budget blueprint would include a nearly 18 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  The full budget detail is expected to be released later this Spring. Budget sequestration – which requires reductions in the rate of increase in federal spending – is scheduled to go back into effect in FY 2018 and would lead non-defense spending, including at CDC, to fall 16 percent below 2010 spending rates (adjusting for inflation).

“Major budgetary cuts have hampered the ability of public health agencies to protect and improve the nation’s health – impeding the response to pressing health concerns and the rising costs of treating preventable illnesses and injuries,” said John Auerbach, president and CEO, of TFAH.  “It is painfully clear that the decrease in federal spending has not led to higher state spending for public health. Rather, the nation has doubled down on cuts at both levels, leaving us vulnerable to the next public health crisis. Cutting public health programs is shortsighted – and we will all pay the price over time.”

The Funding Crisis brief also found that:

  • Around 75 percent of CDC’s funds go to support state and local programs – but this support ranges from a low of $15.39 per person in Virginia to a high of $49.67 per person in Alaska – with differences due to competitive grant awards and some targeted-need programs;
  • Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) core funding for states and local communities – with the exception of the one-time, short-term funding for Ebola and Zika response needs – has been cut by more than one-third (from $940 million to $651 million) per year since the program was established in the wake of the 9/11 and anthrax attacks.  CDC has responded to more than 750 emergencies in the past two years; and
  • Only $4 per person per year is spent on chronic disease prevention activities at CDC ($1.2 billion total).  Nearly half of all Americans have one or more chronic disease – a majority of which are preventable – and more than 80 percent of healthcare spending is for chronic conditions. 

TFAH also highlights how investing in proven public health strategies can improve health and yield positive returns.  For instance:

  • Investing $1 in substance use prevention to realize as much as $34 in return.  Deaths from prescription painkiller use have more than quadrupled in the past 15 years and deaths from heroin have tripled since 2010, contributing to higher death rates among middle-aged Whites.  Five of the strongest school-based substance use prevention strategies have returns on investment ranging from $3.8:1 to $34:1.
  • Saving more than $16 billion through a more active and healthy population. One in three children will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime and one in four young adults are not healthy enough to join the military.  An investment of $10 per person in proven, evidence-based community prevention programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition and reduce tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually – a $5.60:1 return.
  • Connecting health and social services to cut billions in costs.  Health and social service coordinating systems that address gaps between medical care and effective social service programs – by connecting patients in need with programs ranging from supportive housing to food assistance – could yield between $15 billion and $72 billion in annual healthcare savings within 10 years, according to an analysis by TFAH and Healthsperien.
  • Reducing the $120 billion spent annually on preventable infectious diseases.  Fifteen years after 9/11 and 11 years after Hurricane Katrina, when health crises such as new infectious diseases arise, the country often lacks sufficient funding and capabilities in place to effectively respond.  Preventable infectious diseases cost the country more than $120 billion annually – and that cost is exponentially compounded when new diseases emerge.

Key recommendations for achieving a modern public health system highlighted in the paper include:

  • Increasing funding for public health – at the federal, state and local levels – to support basic capabilities to turn the tide on health epidemics and prevent disease;
  • Modernizing the public health system to address gaps in critical infrastructure and update outdated systems and technologies;
  • Creating a standing Public Health Emergency Fund for immediate use when new threats emerge – while still making sure to maintain ongoing preparedness and response funding.  To be effective, this fund must provide a complimentary surge of resources for response to new crises and cannot replace the need to provide ongoing support for standing health security capabilities that must always be in place to deal with the regular cycle of emergencies and threats the country faces;
  • Supporting better health – and top local priorities –  by providing communities with the flexibility to focus on their highest concerns, develop private-public partnerships to leverage resources and ensure accountability; and
  • Expanding the use of evidence-based, high-impact strategies to improve health in every community.

 

State

Total CDC Funding for State, Per Capita, FY 2016

Alaska

$49.67

Vermont

$41.57

Rhode Island

$39.59

South Dakota

$33.98

New Mexico

$32.66

Maryland

$31.93

Montana

$31.77

Hawaii

$31.76

Delaware

$30.15

North Dakota

$29.88

Wyoming

$29.69

Maine

$27.98

Louisiana

$27.59

New Hampshire

$27.53

Nebraska

$26.64

Georgia

$26.50

Mississippi

$25.48

Idaho

$24.57

Arkansas

$23.97

Massachusetts

$23.43

Oklahoma

$23.18

West Virginia

$22.96

South Carolina

$22.62

Utah

$22.19

Iowa

$21.70

Alabama

$21.60

Nevada

$21.55

Minnesota

$21.54

Oregon

$21.43

Texas

$21.28

Kentucky

$21.17

Colorado

$21.13

Arizona

$21.07

Tennessee

$20.87

Connecticut

$20.29

Kansas

$20.26

Washington

$20.06

California

$19.61

New York

$19.41

Florida

$19.09

Missouri

$18.98

North Carolina

$18.81

Michigan

$18.80

Ohio

$17.90

Indiana

$17.11

Wisconsin

$16.89

Illinois

$16.76

New Jersey

$16.59

Pennsylvania

$15.48

Virginia

$15.39

Includes CDC funds for organizations within the state.
The brief was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

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Trust for America’s Health Releases Issue Brief on Preventive Services

Washington, D.C., March 30, 2017 –Impact of the 2017 Health Reform Proposals on Clinical Preventive Services, released today by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), reviews the current status of public and private insurance coverage of preventive services, and what would be at stake if they were eliminated or reduced, either through legislation or administrative actions.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded coverage of a range of effective, targeted preventive services to make them accessible to millions of Americans.

  • As of 2015, around 137 million private insured Americans received guaranteed preventive services without cost sharing.  Small and individual insurances plans are required to cover 10 Essential Health Benefits, such as blood pressure screenings and well care visits, and non-grandfathered individual, small and large plans are required to cover evidence-based services with top effectiveness ratings, recommended vaccines and preventive maternal and child health coverage (Section 2713 Preventive Services).
  • The 14 million Americans covered via Medicaid expansion qualify for no-cost coverage of Essential Health Benefits, other top rated preventive services and tobacco cessation services.  States determine coverage of preventive services for enrollees in traditional Medicaid plans.

“For too long, America has propped up a sick care system. Instead of prioritizing keeping people healthy in the first place, we’ve waited until they get sick—often with chronic, debilitating and expensive conditions—and then paid the price,” said John Auerbach, president and CEO, TFAH. “Research tells us time and again two truths: Americans with coverage of preventive services are more likely to access these services and investing in preventive services improves health and reduces costs, yielding massive returns on investment.”

According to the brief, a range of proposals could potentially lead to millions of Americans losing access to preventive services – either through reductions or changes in requirements or as part of losing health insurance coverage.  Studies have shown that expanding coverage for preventive services contributes to an uptick in routine exams; screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; use of flu shots; and annual dental exams.  Examples of some outcomes of preventive services include:

  • Among the Medicaid population in Massachusetts, an evidence-based, Medicaid tobacco-cessation benefit was associated with a reduction in smoking rates and an estimated $3.12 in medical savings from averted cardiovascular hospitalizations alone for each dollar spent.
  • The Diabetes Prevention Program reduced risk for developing type-2 diabetes by 58 percent. Even after 10 years, people who completed the program were one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
  • Comprehensive prenatal maternal care helps reduce premature birth and infant mortality rates.
  • Vaccines prevented an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the U.S. between 1994 and 2013 – and yield a net savings of $295 billion in direct costs and $1.38 trillion in societal costs.

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

TFAH Statement: The Climate and Energy Executive Order will be a Calamity for the Nation’s Health

Washington, D.C., March 28, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) on President Trump’s climate and energy executive order.

“The Trump Administration’s executive order rolling back many policies that fight climate change and the serious ramifications that result from a changing environment will harm the nation’s health.

Research has long pointed out the immediate health issues related to pollution—and has shown how, if unchecked, climate change will lead to an increase in natural disasters, reduced water access, the spread of insect-borne infectious diseases and poor air quality.

Today’s executive order impacts the future health of our children and environment and is a step back in efforts to promote resilient, equitable and healthy communities, particularly those most vulnerable and at risk.

We urge this Administration and other partners in both public and private sectors to work collaboratively to deploy new resources and interventions that will help our country mitigate and adapt to this serious public health threat.”

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

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TFAH Statement: Budget Proposes Devastating Cuts for Public Health

Washington, D.C., March 16, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“The President’s proposed budget – which includes nearly an 18 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – would be devastating to the public health and safety of Americans.  This would constitute an unprecedented harmful blow to the nation’s health.

While there are not sufficient details in the budget blueprint about the impact to HHS agencies, including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is clear that such a big decrease would undercut core health programs that are needed to address any and all health problems.

There is nothing more valuable than the health and vitality of the American people.  To achieve that, we need to maintain a strong and stable public health system.  Such significant cuts would hurt the country’s health system – which is essential for taking on the range of epidemics we face – from major disease outbreaks to diabetes to prescription painkiller misuse.

A few CDC-specific areas referenced in the budget blueprint include:

  • A proposal for a $500 million block grant program for states via CDC.  The proposal does not provide specifics about the program or where the funds would come from, beyond encouraging flexibility for states to focus on their leading public health challenges.  We would raise major concerns that in the past – when funding sources have been combined, they have also been reduced – leaving states with less funding and with less ability to address the health problems of their citizens.  States then end up in a position of having to make tough trade-offs about which health problems they can address.
  • The creation of a Federal Emergency Response Fund.  The document, however, does not provide sufficient information to evaluate what the fund would look like or if there would be new resources to support it, or if support would be diverted at the expense of funding for other programs.  While creating such a fund is important – to allow for access to immediate funds during health emergencies – it is essential that such a fund be supplemental – and not come at the expense or instead of maintaining an ongoing public health security and defense programs.  We need both steady ongoing capabilities – as well as the ability to quickly access emergency supplemental funds in times of crises.
  • 500 million to address the opioid epidemic.  A national commitment to this priority health crisis is important.  However, the budget proposal was unclear as to whether these are new funds, funds that came from passage of the CURES bill or funds diverted from other programs.  In addition to specific funding to address the crisis, it is also essential to maintain and sufficiently support the underlying public health system that any response would build upon.

Proposed cuts to other agencies and programs also threaten to adversely impact the health of Americans.  For instance, the 31 percent proposed cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could potentially roll back decades of progress protecting against the health impacts of air and water pollution.  And, stable and secure housing is a major factor for maintaining good health – and the proposed 13 percent cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including eliminating the Community Development Block Grant program, would contribute to harming the health and stability of numerous vulnerable families.

These cuts would be historically damaging to our nation’s health.  The country is at a crossroads – where we have the knowledge and capability to help Americans have healthier, longer lives – but if we don’t invest and maintain these efforts, we will be taking a turn down the wrong path.  The lives of our families are too valuable, and the stakes are too high to undercut our health and wellbeing.”

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

 

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TFAH Statement: Strongly Opposed to the House Obamacare Replacement Bill

Washington, D.C., March 7, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“We are strongly opposed to the House Obamacare Replacement bill, which would repeal significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

Under this plan, millions of people could lose health insurance—a devastating blow to the health of many of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families. Without affordable insurance coverage we will see increased levels of preventable illnesses, injuries and deaths.

In addition, eliminating the Prevention Fund would erase 12 percent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget. Of that investment, $625 million directly supports state and local public health efforts to fight preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Losing this funding would wreak havoc on our efforts to reduce chronic disease rates, immunize our children, stop the prescription drug and opioid epidemic and prepare the public health system to prevent infectious disease outbreaks.

We know how to prevent many chronic and infectious illnesses—which make up a significant portion of the $3 trillion the nation spends yearly on healthcare.  If we lose access to health care coverage and to the Prevention Fund, our children, families and communities will suffer and ultimately costs will rise.

The bottom line? This Bill would make untold numbers of the American people less healthy.”

 

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

TFAH Statement on the Draft House Republican Obamacare Replacement Bill: Our Nation’s Health Will Suffer

Washington, D.C., February 24, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“The draft House Republican Obamacare replacement bill—which would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund—would threaten the health of American children, families and communities.

Thanks to the Prevention Fund, hundreds of thousands of Americans benefit from increased access to vaccines and other preventive health services. Quite simply, more people are getting and remaining healthy because of the Prevention Fund.

Yet, the proposed replacement bill would eliminate this important Fund and 12 percent of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget along with it.

And, without the Prevention Fund, states will lose substantial sums of money—totaling as much as $3 billion over the next 5 years—which fight growing epidemics and emerging diseases.

Every year, we spend $3 trillion on healthcare, yet millions suffer from chronic diseases and death rates among Blacks and other people of color remain too high. At the same time, death rates among white middle-aged Americans increased for the first time in decades, mainly due to preventable conditions.

Time and again research shows that the vast majority of these conditions—heart disease, diabetes and others—can be prevented by investing in addressing the root causes. Yet, the country has repeatedly failed to do so.

The nation cannot afford to trade away our single best investment in preventing disease, preparing for and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, reducing rates of chronic illness, and saving lives and money.

If this draft becomes law, our nation’s health will suffer—and it will be exponentially harder to fight growing epidemics, like the rise in prescription drug and heroin overdoses.”

 

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

CDC to Lose More than $5 Billion, States to Lose More than $3 Billion to Fight Health Epidemics over Five Years, if the ACA and Prevention and Public Health Fund are Repealed

Washington, D.C., January 17, 2017 – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would lose 12 percent of its annual budget if the Prevention and Public Health Fund, part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), were repealed, according to an analysis by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

States would end up losing more than $3 billion over the next five years – from grants and programs supported by the Prevention Fund.

“CDC is the world’s leading public health authority and the front line against major threats to the health and well-being of the American people—such as disease outbreaks, prescription drug  misuse and diabetes,” said John Auerbach, President and CEO of TFAH. “Losing the Prevention Fund would result in diminished support for public health in every state, undermining their ability to fight epidemics and keep people safe. The costs of these vital public health efforts will either be passed along to states or the efforts will be eliminated—resulting in more people becoming sick and higher healthcare costs.”

The $890 million gap in CDC’s annual funding created by eliminating the Prevention Fund could not be filled under current laws without drawing funds away from other Department of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services programs. Among activities supported directly by the Prevention Fund are grants to states for infectious disease control, resources through the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and other core public health programs which, if cut, would increase illness, injuries and preventable deaths.

If the Prevention Fund is eliminated, the impact will be felt at the local, state and federal levels as public health organizations respond to several major health crises that are on the rise, such as:

  • Health Security Funds for Disease Outbreaks, Disasters and Bioterrorism:  With the exception of the one-time-only funding for Ebola and Zika, the core funding for preparedness and response to health emergencies has been cut by more than one-third in the past decade. CDC has responded to more than 750 health emergencies in the past two years. Infectious diseases cost the country more than $120 billion per year, and that cost grows exponentially when major new diseases strike.
  • Prescription Painkiller and Heroin Use: Deaths from opioids have more than quadrupled in the past 15 years. Nationally, more than 2 million Americans misuse prescription drugs, and nearly a half million are addicted to heroin, costing the country more than $55 billion a year in healthcare, workplace and criminal justice spending. CDC plays a critical role by providing support to states and healthcare providers to monitor and control the inappropriate prescribing of opioids.
  • Obesity and Diabetes: Nearly 38 percent of adults are obese and more than one-third of children are overweight or obese, contributing to more than $200 billion in direct health costs. One in three children could develop diabetes in their lifetime, and one in four are not healthy enough to serve in the military by the ages of 17 to 24.
  • Declining Life Expectancy:  Life expectancy in the United States has declined for the first time in two decades. While death rates are higher among Blacks and other people of color, death rates have increased the fastest (by 10 percent since 1999) among middle-aged White men and women (ages 45 to 54). Increasing death rates among middle-aged Whites are the highest in West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas. Amounts each state stands to lose over the next 5 years if the Prevention Fund was repealed (based on fiscal year 2016 grants to state)

State

Potential Five Year PPHF Loss, Based on FY 2016 Funding

Alabama

$44,867,115

Alaska

$22,312,985

Arizona

$46,840,075

Arkansas

$29,599,945

California

$307,768,530

Colorado

$44,671,845

Connecticut

$36,728,860

Delaware

$12,462,820

District of Columbia

$51,533,080

Florida

$101,864,250

Georgia

$100,421,755

Hawaii

$40,025,880

Idaho

$22,428,585

Illinois

$93,084,850

Indiana

$41,381,450

Iowa

$35,630,210

Kansas

$45,329,065

Kentucky

$40,687,570

Louisiana

$45,111,030

Maine

$27,588,000

Maryland

$84,876,045

Massachusetts

$88,112,505

Michigan

$110,739,075

Minnesota

$80,759,870

Mississippi

$31,276,855

Missouri

$53,853,865

Montana

$24,831,145

Nebraska

$47,957,625

Nevada

$19,174,580

New Hampshire

$24,967,020

New Jersey

$60,558,365

New Mexico

$43,257,135

New York

$207,587,230

North Carolina

$85,917,320

North Dakota

$14,975,550

Ohio

$114,951,125

Oklahoma

$46,585,755

Oregon

$46,462,400

Pennsylvania

$111,991,355

Rhode Island

$40,238,960

South Carolina

$56,576,525

South Dakota

$18,732,825

Tennessee

$67,537,910

Texas

$147,214,850

Utah

$49,396,510

Vermont

$14,637,565

Virginia

$77,104,520

Washington

$70,060,890

West Virginia

$22,669,320

Wisconsin

$64,120,145

Wyoming

$11,024,970

 Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. 

Survey Finds 73 Percent Support Investments to Improve Health; Obesity, Future Health of Children Top Concerns

Washington, D.C., January 19, 2017 —A new national survey of registered voters has found that nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of Americans support increasing investments to improve the health of communities.  Support spans across party lines (57 percent of Republicans, 87 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Independents) and regionally across the country (75 percent in the Northeast, 71 percent in the Central U.S., 72 percent in the South, and 75 percent in the West).  Women are the strongest proponents of supporting health improvement efforts (62 percent of Republican women, 87 percent of Democratic women and 80 percent of Independent women).

The survey, released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health, was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, in consultation with Bellweather Research, on September 8-9, 2016 of a nationwide sample of 1302 registered voters across the country.

A majority (51 percent) believe that today’s children will be less healthy than previous generations when they reach adulthood.  The groups who hold this belief most strongly include: Republicans (55 percent); rural residents (60 percent); Southerners (57 percent); Independent women (62 percent); and Black women (68 percent).  Most registered voters with children under age 18, however, believe their own children are very healthy (92 percent give an 8-10 rating on a 10-point scale); this is the case for parents of all ideologies, incomes, education levels, and ethnicities.

Additionally, 64 percent believe that the number of health issues facing the country has grown in recent years. Obesity is the top health concern (41 percent), cancer ranked second (33 percent), followed by heart disease and stroke (14 percent) and diabetes and substance misuse (both at 11 percent).

Americans also rate their own health better than the health of the community where they live (66 percent rate their own health as 8-10 (very good) on a 10 point scale, but only 36 percent rank their community’s health as very good).  There are differences based on income, age, education and area of the country on how people rank their health.  For instance:

  • 73 percent of college-educated Whites rank their health as very good compared to 57 percent of Whites without college degrees; and
  • 72 percent of individuals with a household income above $50,000 per year rank their health as very good compared to 59 percent of those with incomes below $50,000.

A majority of American registered voters also strongly support (rating 8-10 out of a 10 point scale) a range of priorities and strategies for improving health, including:

  • 74 percent of people highly support providing enough time — during the school day and afterschool – for kids’ physical education, physical activity or community sports;
  • 74 percent also highly support creating partnerships among farmers, food suppliers and community health groups to bring fresh produce trucks or mobile markets to communities that lack access to grocery stores;
  • 65 percent highly support providing kids with more information on making healthy food choices and being physically active;
  • 63 percent highly support investing more in preventing obesity and chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and stroke;
  • 62 percent highly support increasing early childhood health programs, including home visit programs, mobile health screenings and treatment for diseases like asthma;
  • 61 percent highly support investing more in preventing the spread of infectious diseases like the Zika virus, bird flu and hepatitis;
  • 60 percent highly support treating substance use, including addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin, like a disease, not a crime;
  • 60 percent highly support planning for building more parks, walking and biking trails and other recreation areas for people to be physically active in all communities;
  • 60 percent highly support increasing access to safe and affordable housing and routinely testing for things that create health problems in homes, like lead in water and paint, carbon monoxide, and harmful chemicals in the air;
  • 59 percent highly support increasing incentives that encourage business owners to open grocery stores in communities that lack access to healthy food options; and
  • 58 percent highly support building local partnerships across businesses, health systems, schools and community organizations to address specific health problems in communities.

Methodology:  On behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, in consultation with Bellwether Research, conducted a survey among 1,320 registered voters nationwide (1,019 weighted). The survey was conducted between September 8th and 19th, 2016. Voters were randomly selected from a list of registered voters and reached on a landline or cell phone depending on the number they designated on their voter registration. Interviews were conducted by live telephone interviewers; 50 percent were reached on a cell phone. Included in the sample were three oversamples: 100 Black voters, 100 Hispanic voters, and 100 White non-college voters. Upon completion of the survey, the results were weighted to bring the three oversamples into line with the racial and ethnic composition of registered voters nationwide. The data was weighted to reflect the total population of registered voters, taking into account regional and demographic characteristics according to known census estimates and voter file projections. The data are subject to a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.  Full survey and topline results are available upon request.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter atwww.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook. 

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Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

Majority of States Score 6 or Lower Out of 10 Indicators in Report on Health Emergency Preparedness

Washington, D.C., December 20, 2016 – In Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism, 26 states and Washington, D.C. scored a six or lower on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness.

The report, issued by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), found that the nation is often caught off guard when a new threat arises, such a Zika or the Ebola outbreak or bioterrorist threat, which then requires diverting attention and resources away from other priorities.

In the report, Alaska and Idaho scored lowest at 3 out of 10, and Massachusetts scored the highest at 10 out of 10, with North Carolina and Washington State scoring 9’s.

“Health emergencies can quickly disrupt, derail and divert resources from other ongoing priorities and efforts from across the government,” said Rich Hamburg, interim president and CEO, TFAH.  “Many areas of progress that were made after 9/11 and the anthrax attacks to improve health security have been undercut.  We aren’t adequately maintaining a strong and steady defense, leaving us unnecessarily vulnerable when new threats arise.”

Ready or Not? examines the nation’s ability to respond to public health emergencies, tracks progress and vulnerabilities, and includes a review of state and federal public health preparedness policies.  Some key findings include:

  • 26 states increased or maintained funding for public health from Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-2015 to FY 2015-2016.
  • Just 10 states vaccinated at least half of their population (ages 6 months and older) against the seasonal flu during the 2015-2016 flu season (from July 2015 to May 2016).
  • 45 states and Washington, D.C. increased the speed of DNA fingerprinting using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) testing for all reported cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157, a measure of a state’s ability to detect foodborne outbreaks.
  • 10 states have a formal access program or a program in progress for getting private sector healthcare staff and supplies into restricted areas during a disaster.
  • 30 states and Washington, D.C. met or exceeded the overall national average score (6.7) of the National Health Security Preparedness Index™ (as of 2016).
  • 32 states and Washington, D.C. received a grade of C or above in States at Risk: America’s Preparedness Report Card, a national assessment of state-level preparedness for climate change-related threats – which have an impact on human health.

In addition, the report examined trends in public health preparedness over the last 15 years, finding successes and ongoing concerns.

  • One-third of funds for health security and half of funds for healthcare system preparedness have been cut:  Health emergency preparedness funding for states has been cut from $940 million in fiscal year (FY) 2002 to $660 million in FY 2016; and healthcare system preparedness funding for states has been cut by more than half since FY 2005 – down to $255 million.
  • Some major areas of accomplishment:  Improved emergency operations, communication and coordination; support for the Strategic National Stockpile and the ability to distribute medicines and vaccines during crises; major upgrades in public health labs and foodborne illness detection capabilities; and improvements in legal and liability protections during emergencies.
  • Some major ongoing gaps: Lack of a coordinated, interoperable, near real-time biosurveillance system; insufficient support for research and development of new medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to keep pace with modern threats; gaps in the ability of the healthcare system to care for a mass influx of patients during a major outbreak or attack; and cuts to the public health workforce across states.

The Ready or Not? report provides a series of recommendations that address many of the major gaps in emergency health preparedness, including:

  • Requiring strong, consistent baseline public health Foundational Capabilities in regions, states and communities—so that everyone is protected.
  • Ensuring stable, sufficient health emergency preparedness funding to maintain a standing set of foundational capabilities alongside a complementary Public Health Emergency Fund which would provide immediate surge funding during an emergency.
  • Improving federal leadership before, during and after disasters – including at the White House level.
  • Recruiting and training a next generation public health workforce with expert scientific abilities to harness and use technological advances along with critical thinking and management skills to serve as the Chief Health Strategist for a community.
  • Reconsidering health system preparedness for new threats and mass outbreaks by developing stronger coalitions and partnerships among providers, hospitals, insurance providers, pharmaceutical and health equipment businesses, emergency management, and public health agencies.
  • Prioritizing efforts to address one of the most serious threats to human health by expanding efforts to stop Superbugs and antibiotic resistance.
  • Improving rates of vaccinations for children and adults – which are one of the most effective public health tools against many infectious diseases.

Ready or Not? was released annually from 2003-2012, and more recently, TFAH has released Outbreaks: Protecting Americans from Infectious Diseases, from 2013-2015. The report was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Score Summary: 

A full list of all of the indicators and scores and the full report are available on TFAH’s website.  For the state-by-state scoring, states received one point for achieving an indicator or zero points if they did not achieve the indicator.  Zero is the lowest possible overall score, 10 is the highest.  The data for the indicators are from publicly available sources or were provided from public officials.

10 out of 10: Massachusetts

9 out of 10: North Carolina and Washington

8 out of 10: California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia

7 out of 10: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin

6 out of 10: Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont

5 out of 10: Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and West Virginia

4 out of 10: Nevada and Wyoming

3 out of 10: Alaska and Idaho

 

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 Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.