Tom Harkin: “Mr. President, the Johanns amendment would kill--would kill--the Prevention and Public Health Fund that we have…”

“Mr. President, the Johanns amendment would kill--would kill--the Prevention and Public Health Fund that we have established for our American citizens. Chronic diseases are one of the main reasons health care costs have increased so dramatically over the past several decades. This chart shows it. In 2005 we spent $2 trillion on health care. For every dollar spent, we spent 75 cents treating people who had a chronic disease. But we spent four pennies on prevention--four pennies on prevention--and 75 cents out of the dollar treating them. This second chart shows what has happened from 1987 to now: a $314 billion increase in spending on all health care. Two-thirds of the increase went to take care of people who had chronic illnesses. Most of this is preventable. That is why we know, and we have good data to show, that for every dollar we spend on prevention and wellness we get a great return. For every dollar spent on childhood immunization, we get a $16.50 return. For every smoking cessation program for pregnant women, $6; chronic disease prevention overall, $5.60. Even tuberculosis screening, for every dollar we spend we get more money back in savings because we are not treating people with chronic illnesses. So, again, why would we want to gut this program? But that is what the Johanns amendment does.”