4 States Join Forces in Fight Against Chronic Disease

The National Governors Association (NGA) has announced that Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Pennsylvania have been selected to participate in the NGA's new learning collaborative on integrating chronic disease prevention services.

According to NGA, chronic disease is a major contributor to rising healthcare costs in the United States, accounting for 84% of healthcare spending. To address one of the root causes of rising costs, state public health officials focus on preventive care by promoting physical activity and better nutrition, smoking cessation, screenings for cancer and diabetes and programs to help people control their blood pressure and asthma.

NGA officials said the 4 selected states will focus on initiatives that develop coordinated community networks of care. Under such networks, providers such as physicians, health departments and hospitals are incentivized to work together to manage the care of an assigned population, with disease prevention as a key component. The 4 selected states will also focus on fostering sustainable financing mechanisms for community prevention programs through both existing and new reimbursement mechanisms.

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Source: Healthcare Finance News