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April 13, 2011U.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, DC 20515Dear Representative:The following leading national public health organizations express serious concernover recent Congressional proposals to eliminate, reclassify or substantially reducethe Prevention and Public Health Fund (Fund), an essential provision in theAffordable Care Act (ACA). Collectively, we urge you to strongly oppose suchefforts.As you know, the Fund is a dedicated investment in community prevention and stateand local public health infrastructure and workforce and is a much‐needed downpayment on the health and economic well being of all Americans. The Fund isamong the most significant provisions in ACA that help achieve a goal set byPresident Obama during the 2008 campaign, “Simply put, in the absence of a radicalshift towards prevention and public health, we will not be successful in containingmedical costs or improving the health of the American people.” 1Nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations (see attached) support the Fundas a primary vehicle for making public health investments that would create jobsand help to lower long‐term health care costs. The Fund fills a role that has thesupport of the American people ‐‐ a public opinion survey conducted by TFAH andthe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that 71 percent of Americansfavored an increased investment in disease prevention.States are already using Prevention Fund dollars to build epidemiology andlaboratory capacity to track and respond to disease outbreaks, train the nation’spublic health workforce, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, reduce tobacco use, andhelp control the obesity epidemic. The Fund’s mandatory status guarantees anongoing commitment to prevention unprecedented in today’s “sick care” system,and eliminating it would be an enormous step backwards in our progress on costcontainment, public health modernization, and wellness promotion. Senator TomHarkin said it best in recent public testimony, “Two thirds of the increase in healthcare spending between 1987 and 2000 was due to increased prevalence of chronicdiseases. The Prevention Fund gives us an unprecedented opportunity to bend thecost curve: overall, the return on investment in community‐based preventioninterventions is six dollars for every dollar invested.”Obama ’08, “Barack Obama’s Plan for a Healthy America: Lowering Health Care Costs and EnsuringAffordable, High‐Quality Health Care for All.” Available .pdf1
Millions of dollars in mandatory funding are spent each year via the Medicare,Medicaid, and other federal health care programs to pay for health care servicesonce patients develop an acute illness, injury or chronic disease and present fortreatment in our health care system. Yet prior to the creation of the Fund, there wasno equivalent funding for efforts to promote wellness, prevent disease, and protectagainst public health or bioterror emergencies. At a time when today’s children arein danger of becoming the first generation in American history to live shorter, lesshealthy lives than their parents, we need to get serious as a nation about ourcommitment to prevention, wellness, and preparedness.Once again, we urge you to oppose efforts to reclassify or eliminate the Preventionand Public Health Fund. If we are serious about turning our sick care system into adisease prevention system and making wellness a priority, then now is the time toincrease, rather than decrease our commitment to prevention and public healthefforts.Sincerely,David MunarPresident and CEOAIDS Foundation of ChicagoEric J. HallPresident and Chief Executive OfficerAlzheimer’s Foundation of AmericaCraig E. ThompsonExecutive DirectorAIDS Project Los AngelesLori Heim, MD, FAAFPChair, Board of DirectorsAmerican Academy of FamilyPhysiciansMark IshaugPresident and CEOAIDS UnitedO. Marion Burton, MD FAAPPresidentAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
Roberta S. Carlin, MS, JDExecutive DirectorAmerican Association on Health andDisabilityLarry HausnerChief Executive OfficerAmerican Diabetes AssociationWarner Hudson, MDPresidentAmerican College of Occupational andEnvironmental MedicineNancy BrownChief Executive OfficerAmerican Heart AssociationMichael A. Barry, CAEExecutive DirectorAmerican College of PreventiveMedicineCharles D. ConnorPresident and CEOAmerican Lung AssociationScott GoudeseunePresident and CEOAmerican Council on ExerciseRaymond F. Gist, D.D.S.PresidentAmerican Dental AssociationMarla J. Weston, PhD, RNChief Executive OfficerAmerican Nurses AssociationGeorges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP,FACEP (E)Executive DirectorAmerican Public Health Association
Edward GrandiExecutive DirectorAmerican Sleep Apnea AssociationJohn H. Klippel, MDPresident and CEOArthritis FoundationKathy Lim KoCEO and PresidentAsian & Pacific Islander AmericanHealth ForumMichael Fraser, PhD CAEChief Executive OfficerAssociation of Maternal and ChildHealth ProgramsDenise GrahamExecutive Vice PresidentAssociation for Professionals inInfection Control and EpidemiologyScott J. Becker, MSExecutive DirectorAssociation of Public HealthLaboratoriesPaul E. Jarris, MD, MBAExecutive DirectorAssociation of State & TerritorialHealth OfficialsKaren Probert, MS, RDExecutive DirectorAssociation of State & TerritorialPublic Health Nutrition DirectorsBill Remak, BSMT, BSPH, SGNA, AHCJChairman, California Hepatitis C TaskForceChair, National Association ofHepatitis Task ForcesMatthew L. MyersPresidentCampaign for Tobacco‐Free Kids
Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.Executive DirectorCenter for Science in the PublicInterestRon Z. Goetzel, Ph.D.Research Professor and DirectorInstitute for Health and ProductivityStudiesRollins School of Public Health, EmoryUniversityCatherine DunhamExecutive DirectorChildren's Dental Health ProjectPatrick J. McConnon, MPHExecutive DirectorCouncil of State and TerritorialEpidemiologistsDon MathisPresident & CEOCommunity Action PartnershipRobert RestucciaExecutive DirectorCommunity CatalystRon PollackExecutive DirectorFamilies USAThelma King ThielChair and CEOHepatitis Foundation InternationalAndy FisherExecutive DirectorCommunity Food Security CoalitionJulie DavidsDirectorHIV Prevention Justice Alliance
Chad M. Silva, JDPolicy DirectorLatino Coalition for a HealthyCaliforniaMargaret MoranNational PresidentLeague of United Latin AmericanCitizensJonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.HDirector and Health OfficerLos Angeles County Department ofPublic HealthRaquel AlgarinExecutive DirectorLower East Side Harm ReductionCenterDavid L. Shern, Ph.D.President and CEOMental Health AmericaJohn W. Robitscher, MPHChief Executive OfficerNational Association of ChronicDisease DirectorsLarry E. NaakeExecutive DirectorNational Association of CountiesRobert M. PestronkExecutive DirectorNational Association of County andCity Health OfficialsAndrew WebberPresident and CEONational Business Coalition on HealthHutson W. InnissExecutive DirectorNational Coalition for LGBT Health
Sheila FranklinExecutive DirectorNational Coalition for PromotingPhysical ActivityHo Luong Tran, M.D., M.P.H.President and CEONational Council of Asian PacificIslander PhysiciansKeith MasonExecutive DirectorNational Forum for Heart Disease andStroke PreventionLark Galloway‐Gilliam, MPAChairNational Health Equity CoalitionJoseph Kimbrell, MA, LCSWChief Executive OfficerNational Network of Public HealthInstitutesTine Hansen‐TurtonExecutive DirectorNational Nursing Centers ConsortiumTeri Mills MS, RN, CNEPresidentNational Nursing NetworkOrganizationLark Galloway‐Gilliam, MPAPresidentNational REACH CoalitionMartha SalyDirectorNational Viral Hepatitis RoundtableDaniel C. MontoyaDeputy Executive DirectorNational Minority AIDS Council
Debbie I. ChangVice President, Policy & PreventionNemoursRobert GogatsPresidentNew Jersey Association of County andCity Health OfficersJeffrey BasingerExecutive DirectorNorthern Colorado AIDS ProjectAngela Glover BlackwellFounder and CEOPolicyLinkLarry Cohen, MSWFounder, Executive DirectorPrevention InstituteMary PittmanPresident and CEOPublic Health InstituteRon Bialek, MPP, CQIAPresident/CEOPublic Health FoundationHardy SpoehrExecutive DirectorPapa Ola LokahiMarice Ashe, JD, MPHExecutive DirectorPublic Health Law & PolicyJud Richland, MPHPresident and CEOPartnership for PreventionEllen RautenbergPresident and CEOPublic Health Solutions
Kevin MillsVice President of PolicyRails‐to‐Trails ConservancyAmber N. WilliamsExecutive DirectorSafe States AllianceMichael RuppalExecutive DirectorThe AIDS InstituteJeffrey Levi, PhDExecutive DirectorTrust for America’s HealthJonathan LeverVice President for Health Strategy &InnovationYMCA of the USAMickey S. Urdea, Ph.D.CEO and ChairmanTethys Bioscience, Inc.
April 13, 2011 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative: The following leading national public health organizations express serious concern
