More than two-thirds of adult Americans agree that the U.S. healthcare system needs to put more emphasis on chronic disease preventive care than on treatment, and they’re willing to pay higher taxes to fund those programs, according to a new survey by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.
According to the survey report, Americans and Public Health: Attitudes Toward Public Funding for Public Health and Chronic Disease, Americans believe Congress needs to do more to pay for prevention programs. More than two-thirds (68 percent) don’t think Congress is doing enough to fund these programs, and 43 percent say they are more likely to vote for candidates who support increased public health spending, the survey found. More than four in five Americans (84 percent) favor public funding for programs to help prevent chronic disease.
Chronic disease accounts for the vast majority of health spending in the United States; 75 cents of every dollar spent on health care goes toward the treatment of chronic disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Access the report.
