Delicious
StumbleUpon
Digg
Magnolia
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Men and Families Health Care Act of 2009
U.S. Government To Consider Protecting Men’s Health
Legislation is pending to add an Office of Men’s Health to the Department of Health and Human Services.
By Leah Zerbe
Topics: men's health, policy watch
Tell your elected representatives to support the legislation that will create an office to address men’s health-care concerns.
Most guys think they're invulnerable, but men die sooner than women.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—In the 1920s, the average life expectancy of men and women was relatively close—ladies lived about a year longer. Today, however, men are more likely to die at least 5 years earlier than women. In an effort to help improve the health of men across the nation, representatives from both sides of the aisle recently introduced H.R. 2115, the “Men and Families Health Care Act of 2009.”
THE DETAILS: Representatives Barron Hill (D-IN) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) have introduced legislation that would create an Office of Men’s Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, with the goal of improving the lives of men and their families. In the early 1990s, an Office of Women’s Health was established. “The goal of this bill is to raise awareness about men’s health issues, and ways we can prevent and detect men’s health problems. The Office of Men’s Health will bring this issue to the federal stage and result in more men getting the treatment they need, which will save lives,” says Murphy. “For too long the health needs of men have gone unaddressed. This bill will help men’s health take its rightful place in our federal government’s health-care priorities.” The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce at the end of April.
WHAT IT MEANS: “The act is a step in the right direction, to be sure,” says Matt Bean, senior editor at Men’s Health magazine, “but we still have much ground to cover before health care for men is adequately addressed in this country.” He points out that breast cancer studies are funded at nearly triple the level of prostate cancer studies, despite that fact that both diseases kill about 40,000 people each year.
Some other sobering statistics:
• Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death.
• Male victims account for 92 percent of workplace deaths.
• Men are 4 times as likely to commit suicide than women.
“There is a silent health crisis in America: On average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women,” says David Gremillion, MD, spokesman for Men’s Health Network.
Here are some steps men can take to better their odds of a long, healthy life:
Published on May 8th, 2009
Last updated on March 25th, 2010
Related Stories
Rodale.com on Facebook
follow @RodaleNews
Get the latest news and useful tips about your health, food, and the environment!
Find (or share!) a solution for all your aches & pains. Thousands of tried and true safe remedies!
2009-2012 Copyright Rodale. All Rights Reserved. Your Privacy Rights Manage Email Preferences
The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not
a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis.
Read our Medical Advice Notice.
To make a payment, cancel or renew your subscription for any Rodale product, contact customer service at:
400 South Tenth Street • Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
(866) 387-0509 • www.rodaleinc.com/customer-service • E-mail: customer_service@rodale.com • Your Privacy Rights
health
I agree that we have to find a solution for this because if this trend will continue we may have serious problems in the future because we neglect it now. My parents had to visit a dual diagnosis Florida center and they told me that the doctors there have different approach to male and female because because our body reactions to the environment are different and I think it is the right approach. I hope this idea won't turn in a male-female polemic.
What it's really about
This piece of legislation is a tool used by a non-profit called Men's Health Network to gain notoriety and money. It won't actually help anybody but them if its passed. The best way to help men's health is by supporting legislation that increases funding for Medical Research in general. Everyone benefits from a larger pool of money. It also creates jobs in the medical field. I think its funny how they changed the name of this legislation for a Democratic Congress. In previous Congresses, yes it has been introduced many times, it was called the Men's Health Act. This is the first time it was introduced by a Democrat. If you really want to make a difference, call men's health network at 202-543-6461 x 105 and tell them you don't want them profiting off of the American taxpayer!
Support H.R. 2115
It is interesting that there are some people that would not like this bill passed. It is like the article said this bill is crucial for men's lives and don't give me this libertarian garbage of less government because when women's health was being discussed you had no problem with this. When it comes to women's health everyone's a feminist when it comes to men's all of a sudden everyone's a libertarian. End the hyprocrisy.
the problem
with the government is that they only ever add and never take away! It's time for the government to start making the hard cuts that we all in the real world have to make to survive,
Further agreement
PLEASE stop thinking up new ways to spend money at the federal level that we don't have!!!! National interference with health care is disaster on the horizon.
Agree
We don't need more government involvement. We need the people to be involved/care.
Men's and Women's Health Departments
I don't think we should have either department. It just results in higher expenses and expands government. Take the money that would be spent on salaries and benefits and other over-head costs and put it to use at a more local level. Fund research for treatment and prevention, fund studies and programs at healthcare facilities...most local hospitals and clinics have community programs to promote early detection and preventive health. Those local programs are always looking for funds, even targeted funds to work toward a healthier community...after-all healthier people need less care. Wouldn't that be a great way to reduce healthcare costs??