-- strengthen the nation's preparedness for a bioterrorism attack;
-- substantially increase funding for the National Institutes of Health;
-- reorganize the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to encourage
greater responsiveness and efficiency;
-- clear the backlog of waivers and state plan amendments, approving
1,400 and thereby provide health insurance to 1.8 million lower-income
Americans throughout the nation; and,
-- urge all Americans to prevent disease by focusing on critical health
areas, such as obesity, diabetes and health disparities.
The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States
government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans
and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least
able to help themselves. Medicare and Medicaid alone provide health
coverage for more than 90 million Americans. The Department is the U.S.
agency responsible for:
-- Health and social science research
-- Preventing disease, including immunization services
-- Assuring food and drug safety
-- Medicare (health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans) and
Medicaid (health insurance for low-income people)
-- Health information technology
-- Financial assistance and services for low-income families
-- Improving maternal and infant health
-- Head Start (pre-school education and services)
-- Faith-based and community initiatives
-- Preventing child abuse and domestic violence
-- Substance abuse treatment and prevention
-- Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals
-- Comprehensive health services for Native Americans
-- Medical preparedness for emergencies, including potential terrorism.
The Department of Health and Human Services administers more grant dollars
than all other federal agencies combined. HHS' Medicare program is the
nation's largest health insurer, handling more than 1 billion claims per
year. Medicare and Medicaid together provide health care insurance for one
in four Americans.
In 1996, Gov. Thompson enacted Wisconsin Works, or "W-2," the state's
landmark welfare-to-work legislation, which served as a national model for
welfare reform. The program required participants to work, while at the
same time providing the services and support to make the transition to work
feasible and permanent. W-2 provided a safety net through child care,
health care, transportation and training assistance.
More recently, Gov. Thompson worked to extend health insurance to many
low-income children and families. As of November 2000, The BadgerCare
program -- Wisconsin's Medicaid/State Children's Health Insurance Program
for uninsured families -- had enrolled more than 77,000 individuals. In
addition, Wisconsin's Pathways to Independence was the nation's first
program to allow the disabled to enter the workforce without the fear of
losing health benefits. The program provides ready access to a coordinated
system of services and benefits counseling. As governor, Thompson also
created FamilyCare, designed to help elderly and disabled citizens, and
allow them to receive care in their homes for as long as possible.
Thompson began his career in public service in 1966 as a representative in
Wisconsin's state Assembly. He was elected assistant Assembly minority
leader in 1973 and Assembly minority leader in 1981. He has received
numerous awards for his public service, including the Anti-Defamation
League's Distinguished Public Service Award. In 1997, Thompson received
Governing Magazine's Public Official of the Year Award, and the Horatio
Alger Award in 1998. He has also served as chairman of the National
Governors' Association, the Education Commission of the States and the
Midwestern Governors' Conference. He also served in the Wisconsin National
Guard and the Army Reserve.
Former Gov. Thompson, a U.S. presidential candidate until August 2007, is
the president of Logistics Health Incorporated. He also is senior partner
at Akin Gump, a Washington, D.C., law firm, and is the independent chairman
of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Thompson taught a class in the
fall of 2005 at the Kennedy School of Government on medical diplomacy.
About U.S. Preventive Medicine:
U.S. Preventive Medicine®, a privately owned company, is building the
first health network in the United States and internationally focused on
prevention. USPM offers employers, government agencies and consumers
proprietary products that include The Prevention Plan™, a groundbreaking
personalized wellness program delivered online to individuals; The
Prevention Plan CM™, field-based chronic disease management programs
customized for employers and government agencies to reduce healthcare
costs; and The Centers for Preventive Medicine®, which offer high-tech
diagnostic screenings delivered to consumers in partnership with hospitals,
health systems and other providers. For more information, please visit
www.USPreventiveMedicine.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which may not
accurately reflect our actual results of operations. Some of the
information in this news release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements
typically are identified by use of terms like "may," "will," "expect,"
"anticipate," "estimate," and similar words, although some forward-looking
statements are expressed differently. The reader should be aware that our
actual results could differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including
insufficient capital resources, inability to compete effectively, adverse
economic conditions, unanticipated difficulties in product development and
inability to gain market acceptance and market share.
Contact Information: For more information: Kathy Fleming 214-548-9083 kfleming@USPreventiveMedicine.com