Prevention: more than an ounce.

• Author: Winterfeld, Amy
• Position: HEALTH REFORM: SPECIAL REPORT

"As an ER physician, I see many patients who have problems that, with preventive care, would not land them in the ER. As an elected official, I see the huge cost preventable illness causes taxpayers."

--Representative Doug Cox (R), Oklahoma

One aim of federal health reform is to shift the health system's focus from treating sickness to keeping people healthy. The goal is to "move from a culture of sick care to a culture of prevention," says U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. By doing so, states may reap both immediate and long-term savings.

Addressing many root causes of chronic diseases poor diet, physical inactivity and smoking, for example--may lessen their huge burden on government budgets. Treating chronic diseases accounts for 75 percent of all health spending in the country.

"As an ER physician, I see many patients who have problems that, with preventive care, would not land them in the ER," says Oklahoma Representative Doug Cox (R), chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Public Health and Social Services. "As an elected official, I see the huge cost preventable illness causes taxpayers."

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Several provisions of the federal health care law support preventive efforts. The National Prevention Strategy designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aims at increasing the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life by creating community environments that help people make healthy choices and ensuring access to preventive care. Another effort, the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project, promotes healthy eating and physical activity to combat childhood obesity. The project will...