by John Weeks
A medical reform movement is afoot in the integrative practice community. The present goal is as powerful as it is sublime: Tell Congress that, whatever healthcare reform efforts are undertaken, wellness must be included.
The focal point of the current campaign is House Concurrent Resolution 406 (H.Con.Res.406) introduced by US Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI). H.Con.Res.406 expresses “the sense of Congress that any effort to reengineer the health care system in the United States should incorporate sustainable wellness programs that address the underlying causal factors associated with chronic disease.”
This resolution begins to articulate a message of transformation around which we practice and organize. Think for a moment of the profound ramifications in clinical practice, education, research, reimbursement and delivery which would flow if such “incorporation” led to greater exploration of wellness principles. Fully realized, the river of policy and influence would be diverted from the sinkhole of end-stage, tertiary care to irrigate the community initiatives and outpatient strategies which are the foundation of health and wellness. H.Con.Res.406 is a great starting place.
H.Con.Res.406 (see below) begins with 9 “whereas” statements which succinctly describe the rise of chronic disease and the growth of citizen interest in wellness and the proven value of wellness interventions. H.Con.Res.406 then urges that wellness programs be not only be available, but that they use “multi-dimensional approaches” and “clearly defined standards.” A member of the US Senate is expected to introduce the Resolution on the Senate side soon.
Numerous organizations and their leaders have endorsed H.Con.Res.406:
- American Association for Health Freedom
- American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- American Holistic Medical Association
- American Holistic Nurses Association
- American Medical Student Association (senior leadership)
- Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium
- Natural Products Association (executive committee)
- Naturopathic Medical Student Association (executive committee)
In addition, the president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine is supportive and is taking it to her board in October. Resolution has also been brought to the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine's executive and steering committees for review and recommendations for action. Many of these organizations have already moved to mobilize their members. Some are considering doing so in 2009.
H.Con.Res.406 is a non-binding resolution. What this means is that to elevate political action behind this purpose we must show the depth and breadth of public support. For instance, in separate, scientific polls of citizens in Iowa and Washington, Code Blue Now! (www.codebluenow.org) found that roughly 70% of respondents believe more resources should focus on preventive approaches rather than heroic end-stage measures. Our organizations must feed elected officials ideas on how wellness as primary prevention can be expressed in legislation. Right now, here are 2 things you can do:
- As an individual Go to this site http://capwiz.com/naturopathic/issues/alert/?alertid=11779946 which will easily and efficiently let your members of Congress know that a wellness approach is important to you. This takes 2-5 minutes. Credit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians for offering and managing this political tool.
- As a member of organization(s) Most of us are members of one or more professional organizations. Copy the language for H.Con.406, below, send it to the leadership and ask for endorsement.
“Wellness” draws a circle which includes the whole integrative practice community, and many others. Intermingling here are holism, patient-centered care, community medicine, mind-body, natural healing, bio-psycho-social-environmental-spiritual approaches, integrative medicine, spirit, and “complementary medicine” in its most inclusive sense. The approach reflects core principles around which most of our professions are organized.
H.Con.406 is not all we want to do to transform U.S. medicine. Yet wellness is an exceptional starting place for extending the integrative practice community and introducing what we bring to the table. Numerous individuals and organizations have already signed on. Has yours? Have you?
Conflict/alignment of interest: I am on the steering committee of IHPC and have dialogued with leaders of these organizations about this campaign.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2008
From http://thomas.loc.gov/ and input H. Con. Res. 406 (exactly in this form)
Mr. LANGEVIN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that any effort to reengineer the health care system in the United States should incorporate sustainable wellness programs that address the underlying causal factors associated with chronic disease.
Whereas increases in costs related to providing health care for an aging population and the increasing number of people with chronic disease create a crisis for the healthcare system in the United States;
Whereas 23,600,000 individuals in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes and 57,000,000 have been diagnosed with prediabetes;
Whereas 70,000,000 individuals in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease, which is responsible for nearly 40 percent of all deaths in this country;
Whereas 64 percent of all individuals in the United States are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese;
Whereas overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for developing many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type2 diabetes;
Whereas individuals in the United States are increasingly using lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and stress reduction, to decrease their risk of developing serious healthcare problems and to restore health;
Whereas low-income families face an increased risk of developing chronic disease and do not have the resources necessary to avoid developing serious health problems related to such chronic disease;
Whereas there is a growing body of evidence that wellness programs that promote lifestyle changes can diminish the incidence and severity of chronic disease, provide a substantial return on investment, and reduce reliance on the conventional medical care system; and
Whereas the Federal Government has a responsibility to reengineer the Nation's healthcare system to allow for the provision of adequate healthcare for future generations: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that Congress should ensure that any reengineering of the healthcare system in the United States--
(1) incorporates sustainable wellness programs that address the underlying causal factors associated with chronic disease;
(2) ensures that the public has access to strategies for improving individual health through lifestyle change, including strategies relating to diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and stress reduction;
(3) provides patient-centered care--
(A) that addresses personal health needs; and
(B) that uses a multidimensional approach to encourage patients to improve their own wellness through lifestyle changes and the use of scientifically-based therapies that facilitate the inherent ability of the human body to maintain and restore optimal health; and
(4) utilizes clearly defined standards to determine when the implementation of wellness and health promotion activities will be useful for each patient based on the diet, exercise habits, individual health history, and family health history of the patient.
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