With another food contamination outbreak in the headlines - this time E. coli-tainted romaine lettuce traced to an Ohio food company that has sickened at least 19 people- the question of how and when food safety legislation will move forward is more timely than ever. While the House passed its version of The Food Safety Enhancement Act last July, the Senate has been much slower to act. 
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Author Archive
Gray Haupt
Will BPA Bump Food Safety to Back Burner?
Friday, May 7th, 2010Gray Haupt
Technology Tuesday: Empowering the Research Enterprise in a Post-Reform World
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010With the passage of health care reform, the research community is ready to shift the national health policy conversation to a new dialogue on enhancing biomedical research and scientific innovation. In the past few weeks, discussion on topics such as the need to improve the translation of research discoveries into better health outcomes and the research ROI for improving the nation's overall health have gained traction alongside continued analysis of the final health reform provisions.
At the recent Research!America National Forum, experts from across the government, industry, academia and patient advocacy sectors discussed priorities to speed translational research, improve health outcomes and ultimately, as panelist Dr. Robert Tijian, president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute put it, identify new pathways to "move beyond therapeutics and treatment to prevention." Yet transformation of this level requires a deep commitment to enhancing cross stakeholder collaborations and sustained communication, a challenge with so many players involved in the research process.
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Gray Haupt
Health Reform: Special Delivery for Christmas
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009Amidst dipping public support for health care reform that dropped from 45% of Americans saying the country would be better off with health reform passage down from 54% in November, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's most recent poll, the Senate passed the last two procedural measures needed yesterday and today to cut off debate and move its health reform package forward. With identical votes of 60-39, Senate leaders secured the necessary support to block GOP filibuster attempts, setting the stage for Christmas Eve passage of the bill, H.R. 3590. A compromise was reached between Senate Democrats and Republicans yesterday to schedule a vote for 8:00 AM tomorrow morning.
Of the 47 million Americans currently without health coverage, the Senate health reform package would provide coverage for 23 million uninsured. The House bill would cover 17 million. The price tags of the two chambers' bills differ as well, with the House bill costing an estimated $1.052 trillion and the Senate legislation coming in at $871 billion. (more...)
Gray Haupt
Wanted: A Health Reform Action Hero
Monday, June 15th, 2009President Obama took his health care reform message to Wisconsin Thursday, holding a town hall meeting in Green Bay to reiterate his priority of passing full scale reform this year:
"Every day in this country, more and more Americans are forced to worry not simply about getting well, but whether they can afford to get well...Millions more wonder if they can afford the routine care necessary to stay well."
It's been a big week on the health reform front. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy's (D-MA) long-awaited health reform legislation made its public debut on Tuesday. Coming in at a whopping 615 pages, The Affordable Health Choices Act aims to "reduce health care costs, protect individuals' choices of doctors, hospitals and insurance plans and guarantee, quality and affordable health care for all Americans" according to the press release from Kennedy's office.
The legislation includes two areas many Republicans have voiced concern over: a public health insurance plan option and a mandate for employers to provide workers with benefits or face financial penalties. However, exact language on both issues is still being crafted. The bill includes placeholder text -- "policy under discussion" -- instead of policy specifics. The same is true for sections of the bill addressing biologics and non-discrimination.
Gray Haupt
FDA’s New Mission: Embracing Public Health
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
From heparin and H1N1 to the whole range of farm-to-fork food safety issues that have dominated headlines, it's been quite a ride recently at the FDA. An April 2009 poll from Harris Interactive/HealthDay reported that about half of all Americans still give the FDA a negative rating on its ability to protect the nation's food and drug supply. While these figures actually represent a slight improvement over the public's opinion in 2008, the Obama FDA finds itself at a critical time for revamping the nation's confidence in the agency.
Perhaps with this in mind, newly-minted FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg and her Principal Deputy Commissioner, Joshua Sharfstein, have written a Perspective piece in this week's New England Journal of Medicine outlining their shared vision for the agency.
They propose a plan to transform the FDA from a body often perceived as managing inspections and approvals into one with a science-based, public health mission at its core - a seemingly wise platform to rebuild the public's trust and Congressional support on. The FDA will "promote health, prevent illness and prolong life" by ensuring that the nation has "access to a safe and nutritious food supply and to innovative and effective medical products."
In addressing the challenges the agency faces balancing scientific innovation with regulatory protections, the immediate need of enhancing risk communication is highlighted. Hamburg and Sharfstein assert that the FDA "must communicate frequently and clearly about risks and benefits" and reaffirm the agency's commitment to transparency. It's also welcome news to see the FDA emphasizing enhanced collaboration with USDA and across HHS - with CDC, CMS and NIH - as well as with outside partners, an element critical to the government's success in managing emerging crises.
Of course, the agency remains woefully under-funded and significant improvements will require increased resources and support. Public confidence will take time to evolve. However, Hamburg and Sharfstein are off to an encouraging start with their public health campaign. Perhaps improving our opinion of the FDA's ability to advance national health is finally a mission...possible?
Courtney Gray Haupt, Senior Director, Public Affairs and Health Policy
Gray Haupt
Chronic Disease by the Numbers
Monday, May 18th, 2009The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) just released its 2009 Almanac of Chronic Disease, which profiles the economic impact of the ever-growing chronic disease epidemic.
I couldn't make it to PFCD's event yesterday at the National Press Club, so I downloaded a copy of the report to read - and immediately shared it with everyone I work with on prevention and public health issues. The Almanac is chocked full of excellent data on how policy action now to combat chronic disease will not only improve the nation's health but will also make health care more affordable and help boost long-term growth in the economy.
Check out some of the Almanac's numbers:
- During 2007, the U.S. spent an estimated $1.7 trillion treating patients with one or more chronic conditions - the equivalent of 34 million annual salaries of $50,000.
- Without change, the U.S. will experience a more than 50% growth in cases of cancer, mental disorders and diabetes and more than 40% growth in heart disease.
- An obese 70-year-old will spend approximately 20% more on health care over their lifetime - nearly $40,000 - than a peer of normal weight.
To feel the full impact of this last point, you've got to check out the Obesity Map. A pretty powerful visual on the evolution of the obesity crisis in the US.
But let me sign-off with at least one encouraging statistic:
- Spending just $10 per person per year on chronic disease prevention programs would save the U.S. more than $16 billion within 5 years.
The positive take-home message here is that disease management and prevention strategies work, and a small output now will have a tremendous impact in the future. Ten bucks each for prevention? That's a number we should all be talking about.
Courtney Gray Haupt, Senior Director, Public Affairs and Health Policy
