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The Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund in Kentucky

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Feb 10th, 2011

The Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund in Kentucky
 
The Affordable Care Act creates a new Prevention and Public Health Fund to assist state and community efforts to prevent illness and promote health, so that all Americans can lead longer, more productive lives. Kentucky has received more than $1.3 million in grants from the fund since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in March 2010.  By concentrating on the causes of chronic disease, the Affordable Care Act helps move the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on wellness and prevention. 

The Cost of Chronic Disease & the Need for Prevention

Chronic diseases – such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes – are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending. Often related to economic, social, and physical factors, too many people engage in behaviors – such as tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol abuse – that lead to poor health and contribute to chronic disease. 

The burden of chronic disease presents a significant public health challenge to Kentucky:

·       Over 2.7 million cases of seven common chronic diseases — cancers, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders, and pulmonary conditions — were reported in Kentucky in 2003.

·       The cost of treating those with chronic disease in Kentucky totaled about $4.7 billion.

·       Chronic diseases resulted in $16.9 billion in lost productivity and economic costs to Kentucky.

A new focus on prevention will offer Kentucky and the rest of our nation the opportunity to not only improve the health of Americans, but also control health care spending.  A report from Trust for America’s Health entitled Prevention for a Healthier America concluded that investing $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs that increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually within 5 years. 

How the Fund Improves Wellness and Prevention for Kentuckians

Since enactment of the Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded approximately $1.38 million in grants to organizations in Kentucky through the Prevention and Public Health Fund to help improve wellness and prevention efforts, including:

Community and Clinical Prevention ($145,000):  This funding supports prevention activities that have been shown to be effective in reducing health care costs and promoting health and wellness.

·       HIV Prevention ($73,000).  Focuses on HIV prevention in high risk populations and communities by increasing HIV testing opportunities, linking HIV-infected persons with appropriate services, and filling critical gaps in data and understanding of the HIV epidemic. 

·       Tobacco Cessation ($72,000).  Strengthens Kentucky’s ability to move towards implementing a plan to reduce tobacco use. It also enhances and expands the national network of tobacco cessation quitlines to significantly increase the number of tobacco users who quit each year.

Public Health Infrastructure ($1,236,000): These grants strengthen state and local capacity to prepare health departments to meet 21st century public health challenges and support the training of existing and next generation public health professionals.

·       Public Health Infrastructure ($200,000). Supports state, local, and tribal public health infrastructure to improve information technology, workforce training, and policy development.

·       Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity ($389,000).  Builds state and local capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. 

·       Public Health Training Centers ($647,000).  Improve the public health system by enhancing skills of the current and future public health workforce.

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