94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB2380

 

Introduced 2/16/2005, by Rep. Elizabeth Coulson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act. Directs the Department of Public Health to establish, promote, and maintain an Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program to raise public awareness, educate consumers, and educate and train health professionals, teachers, and human services providers. Provides for a pilot program for the study of arthritis public health innovation projects. Provides for an Advisory Council on Arthritis to provide non-governmental input regarding the program.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT in relation to public 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, Control, and Cure 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 or chronic joint symptoms affect
13     nearly one of every 3 Americans.
14         (3) Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the
15     United States, limiting daily activities for more than
16     7,000,000 citizens.
17         (4) Although prevailing myths inaccurately portray
18     arthritis as an old person's disease, arthritis is a
19     multi-generational disease that has become one of the
20     country's most pressing public health problems.
21         (5) This disease has a significant impact on quality of
22     life not only for the individual who experiences its
23     painful symptoms and resulting disability, but also for
24     family members and caregivers.
25         (6) Compounding this picture are the enormous economic
26     and social costs associated with treating arthritis and its
27     complications, which are estimated at almost
28     $86,000,000,000 annually.
29         (7) Currently, the challenge exists to ensure delivery
30     of effective, but often underutilized, interventions that
31     are necessary in the prevention or reduction of
32     arthritis-related pain and disability.

 

 

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

 

 

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1         (6) To heighten awareness about the prevention,
2     detection, and treatment of arthritis among State and local
3     health and human services officials, health professionals
4     and providers, and policy makers.
5         (7) To implement and coordinate State and local
6     programs and services to reduce the public health burden of
7     arthritis.
8         (8) To adequately fund these programs on a State level.
9         (9) To provide lasting improvements in the delivery of
10     health care for individuals with arthritis and their
11     families, thus improving their quality of life while also
12     containing health care costs.
 
13     Section 10. Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure
14 Program.
15     (a) The Department of Public Health shall establish,
16 promote, and maintain an Arthritis Prevention, Control, and
17 Cure 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, Control, and Cure
11     Program. Membership of the Council must include, but need
12     not be 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, Control, and Cure
31     Program. The Department may enter into agreements with one
32     or more national organizations with expertise in arthritis
33     to implement parts of the Arthritis Prevention, Control,
34     and Cure Program.
35     (b) In addition to the components described in subsection
36 (a), the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program shall

 

 

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1 include a pilot program for the study of arthritis public
2 health innovation projects. Under the pilot program, the
3 Department of Public Health may give grants to academic
4 organizations or to public or community health organizations to
5 conduct the study or studies. The Department shall review all
6 grant applications, in collaboration with the Arthritis
7 Foundation and the Illinois Arthritis Partnership. Under the
8 pilot program, the Department of Public Health also may fund
9 community health projects for the following activities:
10 surveillance, awareness campaigns, public education,
11 professional education, screenings, and physical activity
12 programs. The Department of Public Health, in coordination with
13 selected grantees, shall evaluate the success of the community
14 health projects and their outcomes.
15     (c) The Department of Public Health shall do all of the
16 following:
17         (1) Provide sufficient staff to implement the
18     Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.
19         (2) Provide appropriate training for staff of the
20     Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.
21         (3) Identify the appropriate organizations to carry
22     out the program.
23         (4) Base the program on the most current scientific
24     information and findings.
25         (5) Work to increase and improve community-based
26     services available to people with arthritis and their
27     family members.
28         (6) Work with governmental offices, national voluntary
29     health organizations and their local chapters, community
30     and business leaders, community organizations, and health
31     care and human services providers to coordinate efforts and
32     maximize State resources in the areas of prevention,
33     education, detection, pain management, and treatment of
34     arthritis.
35         (7) Identify and, when appropriate, use evidence-based
36     arthritis programs and obtain related materials and

 

 

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1     services from organizations with appropriate expertise and
2     knowledge of arthritis.
 
3     Section 15. Funding. The Department of Public Health may
4 accept grants, services, and property from the federal
5 government, foundations, organizations, medical schools, and
6 other entities that may be available for the purposes of
7 fulfilling the obligations of the Arthritis Prevention,
8 Control, and Cure Program.
 
9     Section 20. Waivers. The Department of Public Health shall
10 seek all waivers of federal law and regulations that may be
11 necessary to maximize funds from the federal government to
12 implement the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Program.