CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASE
SB420
AND HB360 FACT SHEET
The
Pennsylvania Dietetic Association supports PA Senate Bill 420
and House Bill 360, which provide for Medical Nutrition Therapy
for cardiovascular disease.
RATIONALE:
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) has been proven to
result in reduced need for, or in elimination of, medications
for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. These diseases
become particularly prevalent as people age, and thus their
incidence is high in Pennsylvania . MNT can reduce the cost
of care for patients with these diseases and can also reduce
the side effects associated with some medications .
IMPLEMENTATION:
These bills provide for Medical Nutrition Therapy coverage
requirements for cardiovascular disease by health insurers.
MNT is provided by a Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN) and
includes an assessment of the client's nutritional status, counseling
and food recommendations to treat the illness. MNT is individualized
to meet the needs and lifestyle of the client .
DISCUSSION: Currently MNT is not covered by insurance plans for
heart disease. The National Cholesterol Education Campaign
and
the American Heart Association recommend that diet changes
be the first intervention used to control cholesterol and other
blood lipids. MNT empowers and educates clients by customizing
information on what they can do to make realistic changes.
In
addition, nutrition counseling enhances the effectiveness of
other health promoting and disease controlling strategies,
such
as medication and exercise. The news media and professional
publications are replete with articles and reports of studies
which support the facts stated in the RATIONALE. Journals of
the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical
Association,
as well as reports in Circulation, and by the Oxford Health
Plan, the National Conference for Nurse Practitioners, the
American
Academy of Family Physicians and others
address the importance of MNT in treatment of heart and blood
vessel disease.
Senate
Bill 420 sponsors:
Major
sponsor: Senator Michael O'Pake ;
Co-sponsors:
Senators Allen Kukovich, Raphael Musto, Sean Logan, Jay Costa,
James Rhoades, Michael Stack, Jack Wagner, Richard Kasunic,Allyson
Schwartz, Christine Tartaglione, John Rafferty, Shirley Kitchen,
and Gerald LaValle.
House
Bill 360 sponsors:
Major
sponsor: Representative Craig Dally;
Co-sponsors:
Representatives Steven Cappelli; Thomas Creighton, Anthony DeLuca,
Richard Geist, Richard Grucela, Harold James, Susan Laughlin,
Daylin Leach, Fred McIlhattan, Anthony Melio, Douglas Reichley,
Paul Semmel, Timothy Solobay, Elinor Taylor, Leanna Washington,
Rod Wilt, Rosita Youngblood, Curtis Thomas.
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