House
Resolution
55
-
Introduced
HOUSE
RESOLUTION
NO.
55
BY
UPMEYER
and
H.
MILLER
A
Resolution
requesting
that
the
Department
of
Human
1
Services
and
the
Department
of
Public
Health
study
2
the
management
and
treatment
of
atrial
fibrillation.
3
WHEREAS,
atrial
fibrillation
(AFib)
is
the
most
4
common
serious
heart
rhythm
disorder
and
causes
15
5
percent
of
all
strokes
in
the
United
States;
and
6
WHEREAS,
atrial
fibrillation
affects
more
than
2.3
7
million
Americans,
which
number
is
expected
to
more
8
than
double
to
5.6
million
Americans
by
2050;
and
9
WHEREAS,
one
in
four
people
aged
40
years
or
older
10
develop
atrial
fibrillation
during
their
lifetime;
and
11
WHEREAS,
atrial
fibrillation
causes
the
heart
to
12
beat
irregularly
or
out
of
rhythm,
with
the
result
that
13
people
with
AFib
are
nearly
five
times
more
likely
to
14
have
a
stroke
than
someone
without
the
condition;
and
15
WHEREAS,
AFib-related
strokes
are
about
twice
as
16
likely
to
be
fatal
and
about
twice
as
likely
to
be
17
severely
disabling
than
strokes
that
are
not
related
18
to
AFib;
and
19
WHEREAS,
three
out
of
four
AFib-related
strokes
can
20
be
prevented,
but
many
patients
are
not
aware
of
their
21
risk
and
do
not
take
action
to
prevent
a
stroke;
and
22
WHEREAS,
the
estimated
direct
medical
costs
of
23
strokes
for
2007
totalled
$25.2
billion,
including
24
hospital
outpatient
or
office-based
provider
visits,
25
hospital
inpatient
stays,
emergency
room
visits,
26
prescribed
medicines,
and
home
health
care;
and
27
WHEREAS,
appropriate
stroke
prevention
measures
for
28
-1-
LSB
2788HH
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2
H.R.
55
persons
affected
by
AFib
can
effectively
reduce
the
1
overall
financial
burden
of
the
illness
within
public
2
assistance
programs
such
as
Medicaid
and
Medicare;
and
3
WHEREAS,
reducing
the
risk
of
stroke
related
to
AFib
4
may
maintain
self-sufficiency
on
the
part
of
patients
5
cared
for
within
public
assistance
programs;
NOW
6
THEREFORE,
7
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES,
8
That
the
House
of
Representatives
requests
that
the
9
Department
of
Human
Services
and
the
Department
of
10
Public
Health
study
the
feasibility
of
implementing
11
an
audit
program
to
assess
chronic
disease
management
12
of
stroke
prevention
in
atrial
fibrillation
patients
13
using
available
public
and
private
sources
of
funding
14
in
an
effort
to
identify
opportunities
to
reduce
the
15
financial
and
clinical
burden
of
AFib-related
strokes
16
on
Iowa,
and
on
public
assistance
programs
including
17
Medicare
and
Medicaid;
and
18
BE
IT
FURTHER
RESOLVED,
That
at
the
conclusion
of
19
the
study,
a
report
of
findings
and
recommendations
20
be
prepared
and
provided
to
the
General
Assembly
so
21
that
it
can
evaluate
the
effectiveness
of
the
current
22
quality
of
care
within
public
assistance
programs
23
including
Medicare
and
Medicaid.
24
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