Greetings,

As the U.S. Congress prepares to vote on health reform, we need your help to urge members of Congress to preserve the prevention provisions!  While the current provisions show a strong commitment to preventing chronic diseases, which account for 75% of our health care costs, policy makers could slash these provisions as they try to decrease the overall cost of the bill. 

Currently in the health reform bills, the prevention funds would increase over time to about $10 billion a year.  Congress is discussing slashing that by more than 75%.

It's time to let Congress know that prevention is not negotiable!  For too long, health care has focused on treating people after they have become sick, instead of keeping them well in the first place.  The public health investment fund and national prevention strategy would lower disease rates, improve quality of life, and help reduce health care costs for families, businesses, and government.

The current prevention measures also include a national menu labeling policy.  This policy would result in nutrition information on the menus and menu boards at chain restaurants across the country, bringing this popular policy, which has already passed in 16 local and state legislatures, to all Americans.

Please contact your Senators and Representative today and urge them to protect the prevention measures currently included in health reform! 

Thank you for your support!

Subject: Health Reform Must Include Prevention!

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As your constituent, I urge you to protect and champion the prevention measures and funding currently included in the Senate HELP and House Energy and Commerce Committees' health reform bills as the Senate and House prepare to vote. The provisions included in those bills would help shift America's focus from solely treating people after they have become sick to investing in keeping them healthy in the first place.

We'll never get health care costs under control until we help Americans improve their own health. Notably, 75 percent of all health care costs are spent on the treatment of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, many of which could have been prevented. The public health investment fund and national prevention strategy would help lower disease rates, improve quality of life, and reduce health care costs for the federal government, businesses, and families.

In addition, the prevention measures include a national menu labeling policy, which would provide nutrition information on menus and menu boards at fast-food and chain restaurants around the country. Supported by both the restaurant industry and public health experts, menu labeling is a low-cost solution to help prevent and manage obesity and other diet-related diseases.

Too often, as Congress tries to reduce costs, prevention is the first thing to be cut. But the country can no longer afford to ignore prevention. Please let me know that you will support and protect the prevention measures and funding as Congress completes its work on health reform.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]