Arthritis and Public Health
Prevent Arthritis: Invest $23 Million in CDC
The medical and societal impact of arthritis in the U.S. is staggering.
- Arthritis costs the economy $128 billion. These costs include $81 billion in direct costs for expenses like physician visits and surgical interventions and $47 billion in indirect costs for missed work days.
- Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States.
- 46 million people (1 in 5 adults) and 294,000 children live with arthritis every day.
- By the year 2030, an estimated 67 million or 25% of the projected total adult population will have arthritis.
- Nearly one-third of adults with arthritis experience work limitations.
- More than 57% of adults with heart disease and more than 52% of adults with diabetes also have arthritis. Arthritis limits the ability of people to effectively manage other chronic diseases.
- Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention receive $13 million for its arthritis program with about half of that amount distributed, via competitive grant, to 12 state health departments.
To help address the devastating burden of arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation has recommended to Congress that the CDC Arthritis Program be increased by $10 million for a total appropriation of $23 million. This amounts to 50 cents per person with arthritis.
Background:
- Research shows that the pain and disability of arthritis can be decreased through early diagnosis and appropriate management, including evidence based self-management activities such as weight control and physical activity.
- The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program, a group education program has been proven to reduce arthritis pain by 20% and physician visits by 40%.
- State health departments successfully use CDC funding to increase the availability of interventions that have been proven to improve the quality of life and health care of people with arthritis.
- These interventions are recognized by the CDC to reduce health care expenditures.
- For every $1 invested in community level prevention, there is a savings of over $5 dollars in public and private health care expenditures within just 5 years.
Congressional Request:
The Arthritis Foundation urges Congress to make a critical investment of $23 million in CDC’s arthritis program in order to reach more people with arthritis in as many states as possible. The CDC arthritis program implements proven strategies that reduce the arthritis burden.
Congress needs to make this modest investment now to address the growing burden of arthritis or Congress will be paying for the impact of arthritis in terms of escalating health care costs and the impact on the nations' workforce. We know that workers diagnosed with arthritis leave the workforce earlier than those without the disease.
Print this Issue Brief on the need for increased investment in CDC programs that can help prevent arthritis.
For more information about arthritis research or other policy initiatives, please contact the Arthritis Foundation’s Public Policy and Advocacy Department at (202) 887-1700.
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