PhRMA Statement on Healthcare Reform...( WASHINGTON May 11 -- Pharmaceutical ...),Health

WASHINGTON, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO Billy Tauzin issued the following statement today on a new healthcare reform coalition:

"PhRMA echoes the sentiment shared by President Obama and members of Congress that it is critical for all Americans to have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage and services. With this central goal in mind, we are working with a variety of healthcare stakeholders to help ensure that a comprehensive healthcare reform bill gets to the White House this year.

"At the same time, we also recognize the importance of tackling the rate of health spending growth. As part of our outreach efforts, PhRMA recently joined forces with a coalition of other healthcare providers to develop consensus proposals aimed at creating a stronger, more stable healthcare system. We appreciate that all healthcare stakeholders will need to make changes that help lower the growth of overall health costs.

"Improving the population's health through public health initiatives, continuously improving quality of care, encouraging advances in medical treatments, encouraging delivery system changes that foster adherence to evidence-based best practices and therapies that reduce hospitalization and manage chronic disease more efficiently and effectively, and reducing under- and over-use of health care are key elements of the proposals to contain overall cost growth.

"PhRMA has long-supported public health initiatives to turn back the epidemic of chronic illness that is driving up health costs. Reducing the need for healthcare services because fewer Americans have costly conditions like diabetes and heart disease will pay both human and economic dividends. Today, treatment of chronic conditions accounts for nearly 75 percent of all healthcare spending. The President's call for a new focus on disease p
'/>"/>