Jay Rockefeller: “I join several colleagues today to introduce the Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2001. Although we in Congress…”

“I join several colleagues today to introduce the Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2001. Although we in Congress are focused on helping the Nation recover from the horrific attacks of September 11, we must also stand tall against the terrorists who wish to sabotage our domestic policy agenda and continue to work on the issues that affect the everyday health and well being of American citizens. With this conviction, I believe it is time to address the leading health care problem of the 21st century, chronic conditions. Chronic conditions account for an astounding 90 percent of morbidity, 80 percent of deaths, and over 75 percent of direct medical expenditures in the United States. Nearly 125 million Americans have chronic conditions, and this number is expected to increase to 157 million, approximately half the population, by 2020. Chronic conditions encompass an array of health conditions that are persistent, recurring, and cannot be cured. They include severely impairing conditions like Alzheimer's disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression, hypertension, and arthritis. Certainly in West Virginia, many of our workers, especially coal miners and steelworkers, suffer from chronic conditions. Treating serious and disabling chronic conditions is the highest cost and fastest growing segment of health care.”