Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act has been the center of attention lately, and for good reason. With changes in our healthcare system, insurance costs are expected to soar in 2014, 2015, and 2016. These increased costs will be especially acute for younger, healthier individuals. If the price of that coverage is beyond their reach, those individuals may choose to go without health insurance altogether. Employers with respect to maintenance of their employer-sponsored coverage may also be impacted, as well as employers that invest in employee wellness programs to help keep health insurance costs in check.
 
There is currently a strong tie between wellness and health insurance costs. And there is a strong tie between nutrition and prevention, and wellness.
 
The American Nutrition Association, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, has been dedicated to promoting optimal health through nutrition and wellness education. Having already hosted hundreds of top tier nutrition experts in Chicago, including such luminaries as Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, they are now inviting the public to a free forum titled “Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act,” at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8 at the Wojcik Conference Center at Harper College, 1200 W. Algonquin Rd., Palatine.
 
“The Affordable Care Act presents both opportunities and challenges for the area of nutrition and prevention in relation to health and wellness,” said Laura Minzer, executive director of the Healthcare Council of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
 
Under the act, funding will be provided for communities and states to change behavior and environments that support healthier lifestyles. This will include overcoming “food deserts” with greater access to more nutritious foods, healthier snack and lunch options in schools and the worksite, and opportunities for more active lifestyles.
 
But as the changes to the health insurance market come into play in 2014, challenges in the Affordable Care Act may end up working against its intentions. Requiring health insurance plans to cover “essential health benefits” that may not include coverage for registered dieticians and other alternative providers could blur the message about the importance of health and wellness.
 
“For nearly four decades, we have been at the cutting edge of science-based nutrition, educating both laypeople and professionals about the health benefits of good nutrition and wellness,” said American Nutrition Association President Michael Stroka, JD, MBA, MS, CCN, CNS. “The Affordable Care Act is on course to set the paradigm in healthcare and prevention for years to come. It’s important that people and legislators be educated on how the legislation impacts nutrition and preventative care.”
 
Moderated by Stroka, the forum strives to have a respectful discussion about the Affordable Care Act in relation to nutrition, prevention and integrative medicine.
 
“The health reform law presents some challenges in how we as a state and a nation redefine the link between the lifestyles we lead and the healthy (or unhealthy) environmental supports we have and the impact this has on our entire healthcare system,” Minzer said.
 
With education a top priority, the panel is composed of members who can offer a broad range of insight and expertise. The four panelists are: Congressman Joe Walsh, IL 8th District, Joseph Mercola, D.O., Barbara Bellar, MD, JD, MA, and Laura Minzer.
 
Congressman Walsh has been invited to participate so that he may share his efforts on patient-centered reforms in health care and hear public concerns related to prevention within the Affordable Care Act.
 
Dr. Mercola is a world renowned physician based in Chicago. Dr. Mercola sits on the professional advisory board of the ANA and is an expert in nutrition and its role in disease prevention. Barbara Bellar is both a medical doctor and lawyer and has comprehensive knowledge of the Affordable Care Act.
 
Minzer, in her leadership role with the Illinois’ Chamber of Commerce, spearheads collaborative response to state-level health reform.
 
“We want to educate both the public and our local national representatives about this massively complex piece of legislation and just how it will influence preventative care, specifically nutritional counseling and integrative medicine,” Stroka said. “We will present facts, voice concerns and listen carefully to opinions from our panelists and answer questions from audience members.”
 
While Tammy Duckworth, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from the 8th District of Illinois, was invited to be a panelist, she had another commitment.
 
The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8 at the Wojcik Conference Center at Harper College, 1200 W. Algonquin Rd., Palatine. The public is invited free of charge to this important panel discussion.
 
Due to limited seating, pre-registration is recommended. Registrants may submit questions in advance. To reserve a free seat at the community forum on “Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act,” visit http://www.theANA.org.