NIH “Weight of the Nation” and Other NIH Resources To Help Employees, Families Fight Obesity

Sharing and promoting the use of practical practices, tools, information and ideas that patients and their families, health care providers, employers, health plans, communities and policymakers can share and offer to help patients, their families and others in their care communities to understand and work together to better help the patients, their family and their professional and private care community plan for and manage these  needs is the purpose of Project COPE:  The Coalition on Patient Empowerment, a community outreach project of theThe Coalition for Responsible Health Policy.

The Coalition for Responsible Health Care Policy and its Project Cope are founded and operated based on the belief that thee best opportunities to improve access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans is for every American, and every employer, insurer, and community organization to seize the opportunity to be good Samaritans.  The government, health care providers, insurers and community organizations can help by providing education and resources to make understanding and dealing with the realities of illness, disability or aging easier for a patient and their family, the affected employers and others. At the end of the day, however, caring for people requires the human touch.  Americans can best improve health care by speaking  up, stepping up and taking the reins to control health care decisions and to help bridge the gap themselves rather than waiting for government or others to make decisions and take care of matters.  Building health care neighborhoods filled with good neighbors throughout the community is the key.

The outcome of this latest health care reform push is only a small part of a continuing process.  Whether or not the Affordable Care Act makes financing care better or worse, the same challenges exist.  The real meaning of the enacted reforms will be determined largely by the shaping and implementation of regulations and enforcement actions which generally are conducted outside the public eye.  Americans individually and collectively clearly should monitor and continue to provide input through this critical time to help shape constructive rather than obstructive policy. Regardless of how the policy ultimately evolves, however, Americans, American businesses, and American communities still will need to roll up their sleeves and work to deal with the realities of dealing with ill, aging and disabled people and their families.  While the reimbursement and coverage map will change and new government mandates will confine providers, payers and patients, the practical needs and challenges of patients and families will be the same and confusion about the new configuration will create new challenges as patients, providers and payers work through the changes.

We also encourage you and others to help develop real meaningful improvements by joining Project COPE: Coalition for Patient Empowerment here by sharing ideas, tools and other solutions and other resources. The Coalition For Responsible Health Care Policy provides a resource that concerned Americans can use to share, monitor and discuss the Health Care Reform law and other health care, insurance and related laws, regulations, policies and practices and options for promoting access to quality, affordable healthcare through the design, administration and enforcement of these regulations.

Other Helpful Resources & Other Information

We hope that this information is useful to you.   If you found these updates of interest, you also be interested in one or more of the following other recent articles published on the Coalition for Responsible Health Care Reform electronic publication available here, our electronic Solutions Law Press Health Care Update publication available here, or our HR & Benefits Update electronic publication available here .  You also can access information about how you can arrange for training on “Building Your Family’s Health Care Toolkit,”  using the “PlayForLife” resources to organize low cost wellness programs in your workplace, school, church or other communities, and other process improvement, compliance and other training and other resources for health care providers, employers, health plans, community leaders and others here. If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail by creating or updating your profile here. You can access other recent updates and other informative publications and resources.

Some examples of recent publications that may be of interest include:

• Effective Wellness Programs Possible Despite Tight Budgets
• Surgeon General Launches Program To Fight Youth Smoking Health Risks
• Controlling Costs Through Rationing End of Life Care
• US Health Care Spending Growth Slows As Private Insurance Coverage Continues To Shrink Amid 2010’s Slow Economy
• Transportation Barriers Challenge Health Care
• Maintaining Jobs Key To Keeping Americans Covered
• Senator Hatch Attacks Proposed ACA Premium Tax Credit Regulations
• CMS Celebrates 1st Anniversary of Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions
• Texas Health Care Organizations Among 26 Organizations Receiving Awards To Promote Health Care Quality, Safety & Affordability
• Education Key To Helping Low-Income Families Make Better Health Choices
• Poor Planning & Execution Often Tank Wellness Programs
• Health Care Reform’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan Covers Fewer Than 50,000 of Millions With Pre-Existing Conditions
• Personal Responsibility: How Should It Play Into Who Gets Help Under Health Care Reform?

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