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Graham-Cassidy Is Bad for the Nation’s Health

National Association of County and City Health Official Opposes Repeal of the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing nearly 3,000 local health departments, opposes the Graham-Cassidy proposal, the latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans would lose health care coverage and access to important prevention services. In addition, the ability of the nation’s local public health departments to ensure the health of communities around the country would be severely compromised, as the bill strips funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) in FY2019, on which many local health departments are dependent.

“The Prevention and Public Health Fund is a lifeline for local public health departments,” said NACCHO’s President Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. “It provides vital investments to governmental public health at the federal, state, and local levels, and its elimination will impact the nation’s public health support systems that ensure communities are healthy. As an emergency department physician, I understand that prevention goes a long way and long-term treatment of chronic conditions can be costly and are better handled by a healthcare provider that can have continuous oversight and interactions with a patient. The gravity of the real-life impact of defunding public health programs would disproportionately affect those who are more vulnerable, such as seniors, low-income families, people living with disabilities, and children. Our goal should be to invest in communities so that everyone has the opportunity to reach optimal health.”

The Prevention and Public Health Fund makes up 12% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) funding. Among the CDC programs at risk are the 317 Immunization Program, Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and Diabetes Prevention.

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About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.

Theresa Spinner
National Association of County and City Health Officials
2027835551
email us here

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