This is National Public Health Week, a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation. This year’s theme is, “Public Health: Start Here” and each day has a special focus. For the first time in decades, the current generation isn’t as healthy as the one that came before. Communities need to make sure that children and young adults have bright, healthy futures. Public health professionals can lead the way by helping communities identify the resources and information available to keep everyone healthy and safe. The U.S. spends far more on health care than any other country, with such costs rising tenfold from 1980 to 2010 and expected to rise faster than national income during the foreseeable future. By 2020, the direct benefits of the federal Clean Air Act will have reached almost $2 trillion, much more than the $65 billion it will have cost to implement the law. About 85 percent of the $2 trillion is attributable to decreases in premature death and illness related to air pollution. 23 to 1: That’s the rate of the return on investment in clean water technologies in the first half of the 20th century.
Also, widening access to care by investing in expanded Medicaid eligibility, which is encouraged and funded via the Affordable Care Act, results in better health outcomes and reductions in mortality, especially among communities already struggling with health problems. American Public Health Association promotes “Health in All Policies: A Guide for State and Local Governments.” The guide was created in response to growing interest in using collaborative approaches to improve population health by embedding health considerations into decision-making processes across a broad array of sectors. There are numerous ways that the Affordable Care Act will benefit specific populations such as children and parents, childless adults, the elderly, women, low-income individuals and families, and others. The ACA will also benefit small businesses, health care providers, and states. Visit APHA’s website for consumer education resources on the ACA. Visit HealthCare.gov to learn more about newly available options for health care and enroll in coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.