Capitol Update by U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett Americans are living longer. According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy for Americans is at an all-time high - 75.2 years for men and 80.4 years for women. As a member of the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, I am a strong advocate of health policies that improve the quality of life, not just its length. Advances in medical technology have enabled seniors to live longer, healthier lives. Yet more can be done to improve the quality of life.

We must ensure Americans continue to live better. Although federal data report that Americans are living longer, many older Americans continue to suffer from preventable health problems. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, killing more than 600,000 Americans each year. In Texas, 7.6 percent of adults suffer from diabetes and 24.6 percent have hypertension. More than one in four Texans are classified as obese. Accidental falls are another threat to the health of seniors. Among seniors age 65 and older, falls account for 87 percent of all fractures treated in emergency rooms. Falls lead to both injury and a loss of independence. Half of all adults hospitalized for hip fracture cannot live on their own after they return home.

Many health risks facing seniors are preventable and treatable. Many chronic diseases that afflict seniors can be treated, if they are detected in time. Others can be avoided altogether with a healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle. One in three older Americans does not get all recommended screenings. For example, 60 percent of Americans over age 65 have not had the two recommended tests to screen for colon cancer, even though Medicare covers both services.

America cannot afford to shortchange our seniors’ health. Although the health care needs of Texans are substantial, funding to treat and prevent common diseases is often minimal. A report by the Trust for America’s Health found that the amount of federal funding for disease prevention varies widely from state-to-state. The report analyzed the amount of federal funding per-person that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awards to states. Alaska receives $53.36 per person, the most funding in the Nation. The national average is $20.99 per person. Texas gets just $14.28 per person in disease prevention funding from the CDC, putting the Lone Star State in 42nd place. The report estimates that it would cost as much as $2.6 billion to address the disparities in health care funding among the states.

We need to be doing more to prevent disease, not less. Overall, less than 5 percent of our nation’s investment in health care is budgeted for preventative medicine, and that funding is shrinking. The Children’s Health and Medicare Promotion (CHAMP) Act, which I helped to write and was endorsed by the AARP, includes additional funding for preventative care.

How long a person lives should not depend on where they live. Healthcare shouldn’t be an accident of geography. All Americans deserve high-quality, affordable healthcare whether they live in Austin or Anchorage. With a few simple preventative measures, seniors can stay disease an injury free, and make sure that their retirement years are both happy and healthy.