Prevention--the forgotten reform

Almost everyone agrees that America needs a more efficient and equitable health care system. But reforms in these areas alone are not sufficient, for they do little to address the great nation-wide burden of illness that demands expensive care in the first place. Reinforced prevention is the forgotten component in health care reform. There is false security in relying upon individual behavior change alone to reduce the burden of illness. Instead, we need a broader vision of public health strategy in which key health-oriented policies become law, and are more effective. It is time to call on our President and Congress to uphold their responsibility to protect health through such policies, and thus stem some of the root causes of our crisis.