I’m really liking our new Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. Her focus is spot on with prevention and cost cutting needing to be the guiding principles to get all Americans on the to good, long-term health.
In her June, 18, 2010 post “Investing in Prevention”, Dr. Benjamin outlined the details of the Affordable Care Act which, she writes, “created a new Prevention and Public Health Fund designed to help create the necessary infrastructure to prevent disease, detect it early, and manage conditions before they become severe”.
Her honesty is refreshing, as indicated by her plainly stated and accurate assessment of our current health care system: ”Our current health care system leaves many Americans without the preventive care that stops disease and illness before they start.
The Affordable Care Act seems to have all the components many of us have been waiting for. It seems to aim to fund the programs in our communities that need to be funded, the ones that help people stay healthy. It seems to aim to fund the research geared towards prevention. It’s boosting the primary care force. And, it’s helping to curtail the annoying co-pays we’re all facing for the services we need to stay healthy – the important prevention services.
We don’t have more details than what Dr. Benjamin outlined yet but on paper it sure reads well! Let’s now hope that nothing gets lost in translation into actual action. I have all my fingers and toes crossed for this one.
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