94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0641

 

Introduced 1/28/2005, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Arthritis Prevention and Control Act. Directs the Department of Public Health to establish, promote, and maintain an Arthritis Prevention and Control Program to raise public awareness, educate consumers, and educate and train health professionals, teachers, and human services providers, and for other purposes.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Arthritis Prevention and Control Act.
 
6     Section 5. Findings and purposes.
7     (a) Findings. The legislature hereby finds the following:
8         (1) Arthritis encompasses more than 100 diseases and
9     conditions that affect joints, the surrounding tissues,
10     and other connective tissues.
11         (2) One of the most common family of diseases in the
12     United States, arthritis affects nearly one of every 6
13     Americans and will impact an estimated 60,000,000 people
14     (almost 20% of the population) by the year 2020.
15         (3) Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the
16     United States, limiting daily activities for more than
17     7,000,000 citizens.
18         (4) Although prevailing myths inaccurately portray
19     arthritis as an old person's disease, arthritis is a
20     multi-generational disease that has become one of the
21     country's most pressing public health problems.
22         (5) This disease has a significant impact on quality of
23     life not only for the individual who experiences its
24     painful symptoms and resulting disability, but also for
25     family members and caregivers.
26         (6) Compounding this picture are the enormous economic
27     and social costs associated with treating arthritis and its
28     complications, which are estimated at almost
29     $80,000,000,000 annually.
30         (7) Currently, the challenge exists to ensure delivery
31     of effective, but often underutilized, interventions that
32     are necessary in the prevention or reduction of

 

 

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1     arthritis-related pain and disability.
2         (8) Although there exists a large quantity of public
3     information and programs about arthritis, it remains
4     inadequately disseminated and insufficient in addressing
5     the needs of specific diverse populations and other
6     underserved groups.
7         (9) The Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease
8     Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of State
9     and Territorial Health Officials have led the development
10     of a public health strategy, the National Arthritis Action
11     Plan, to respond to this challenge.
12         (10) Educating the public and health care community
13     throughout the State about this devastating disease is of
14     paramount importance and is in every respect in the public
15     interest and to the benefit of all residents of this State.
16     (b) Purposes. The purposes of this Act are:
17         (1) To create and foster a statewide program that
18     promotes public awareness and increases knowledge about
19     the causes of arthritis, the importance of early diagnosis
20     and appropriate management, effective prevention
21     strategies, and pain prevention and management.
22         (2) To develop knowledge and enhance understanding of
23     arthritis by disseminating educational materials and
24     information on research results, services provided, and
25     strategies for prevention and control to patients, health
26     professionals, and the public.
27         (3) To establish a solid scientific base of knowledge
28     on the prevention of arthritis and related disability
29     through surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention
30     research.
31         (4) To utilize educational and training resources and
32     services developed by organizations with appropriate
33     expertise and knowledge of arthritis and to use available
34     technical assistance.
35         (5) To evaluate the need for improving the quality and
36     accessibility of existing community-based arthritis

 

 

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1     services.
2         (6) To heighten awareness about the prevention,
3     detection, and treatment of arthritis among State and local
4     health and human services officials, health professionals
5     and providers, and policy makers.
6         (7) To implement and coordinate State and local
7     programs and services to reduce the public health burden of
8     arthritis.
9         (8) To adequately fund these programs on a State level.
10         (9) To provide lasting improvements in the delivery of
11     health care for individuals with arthritis and their
12     families, thus improving their quality of life while also
13     containing health care costs.
 
14     Section 10. Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
15     (a) The Department of Public Health shall establish,
16 promote, and maintain an Arthritis Prevention and Control
17 Program to raise public awareness, educate consumers, and
18 educate and train health professionals, teachers, and human
19 services providers, and for other purposes. The program shall
20 include the following components:
21         (1) Needs assessment. The Department of Public Health
22     shall conduct a needs assessment to identify the following:
23             (A) Epidemiological and other public health
24         research being conducted within the State.
25             (B) Available technical assistance and educational
26         materials and programs nationwide and within the
27         State.
28             (C) The level of public and professional arthritis
29         awareness.
30             (D) The needs of people with arthritis and their
31         families and caregivers.
32             (E) Educational and support service needs of
33         health care providers, including physicians, nurses,
34         managed care organizations, and other health care
35         providers.

 

 

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1             (F) The services available to a person with
2         arthritis.
3             (G) The existence of arthritis treatment,
4         self-management, physical activity, and other
5         education programs.
6             (H) The existence of rehabilitation services.
7         (2) Advisory Council on Arthritis. The Department of
8     Public Health shall establish and coordinate an Advisory
9     Council on Arthritis to provide non-governmental input
10     regarding the Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
11     Membership of the Council must include, but need not be
12     limited to, persons with arthritis, public health
13     educators, medical experts on arthritis, providers of
14     arthritis health care, persons knowledgeable in health
15     promotion and education, and representatives of national
16     arthritis organizations and their local chapters.
17         (3) Public awareness. The Department of Public Health
18     shall use, but is not limited to, strategies consistent
19     with the National Arthritis Action Plan and existing State
20     planning efforts to raise public awareness and knowledge on
21     the causes and nature of arthritis, personal risk factors,
22     the value of prevention and early detection, ways to
23     minimize preventable pain, and options for diagnosing and
24     treating the disease.
25         (4) Technical assistance. The Department of Public
26     Health may replicate and use successful arthritis programs
27     and enter into contracts with or purchase materials or
28     services from entities with appropriate expertise for
29     services and materials that are necessary to carry out the
30     goals of the Arthritis Prevention and Control Program. The
31     Department may enter into agreements with one or more
32     national organizations with expertise in arthritis to
33     implement parts of the Arthritis Prevention and Control
34     Program.
35     (b) The Department of Public Health shall do all of the
36 following:

 

 

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1         (1) Provide sufficient staff to implement the
2     Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
3         (2) Provide appropriate training for staff of the
4     Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.
5         (3) Identify the appropriate organizations to carry
6     out the program.
7         (4) Base the program on the most current scientific
8     information and findings.
9         (5) Work to increase and improve community-based
10     services available to people with arthritis and their
11     family members.
12         (6) Work with governmental offices, national voluntary
13     health organizations and their local chapters, community
14     and business leaders, community organizations, and health
15     care and human services providers to coordinate efforts and
16     maximize State resources in the areas of prevention,
17     education, detection, pain management, and treatment of
18     arthritis.
19         (7) Identify and, when appropriate, use evidence-based
20     arthritis programs and obtain related materials and
21     services from organizations with appropriate expertise and
22     knowledge of arthritis.
 
23     Section 15. Funding. The Department of Public Health may
24 accept grants, services, and property from the federal
25 government, foundations, organizations, medical schools, and
26 other entities that may be available for the purposes of
27 fulfilling the obligations of the Arthritis Prevention and
28 Control Program.
 
29     Section 20. Waivers. The Department of Public Health shall
30 seek all waivers of federal law and regulations that may be
31 necessary to maximize funds from the federal government to
32 implement the Arthritis Prevention and Control Program.