Congrefs and their messing around...

Dysphagia: a medical term defined as "difficulty swallowing."

H.CON.RES.195 : Expressing the sense of the Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established.
Sponsor: Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] (introduced 7/27/2007)
Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 7/27/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established.

Whereas dysphagia, or difficulty with swallowing, is a medical dysfunction that affects as many as 15,000,000 Americans;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that 1,000,000 people in the United States annually are diagnosed with dysphagia;

Whereas the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has estimated that 60,000 Americans die annually from complications associated with dysphagia;

Whereas based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality data, this is more than the total number of Americans dying from all forms of liver disease, kidney disease, and HIV/AIDS combined--and nearly as many as those dying from diabetes, the number 6 killer of Americans;

Whereas the most common complication arising from dysphagia is aspiration pneumonia--caused by food or saliva entering the windpipe and into the lungs;

Whereas one in 17 people will develop some form of dysphagia in their lifetime, including 50 to 75 percent of stroke patients and 60 to 75 percent of patients who undergo radiation therapy for head and neck cancer;

Whereas as many as half of all Americans over 60 will experience dysphagia at some point;

Whereas complications due to dysphagia increase health care costs by resultant hospital readmissions, emergency room visits, extended hospital stays, the necessity for long-term institutional care, and the need for expensive respiratory and nutritional support;

Whereas the cost of managing a patient with a feeding tube, which for many has been the primary treatment option for this condition, is reported to average over $31,000 per patient per year;

Whereas the total annual cost to Medicare just for enteral feeding supplies for outpatients was more than $670,000,000 in 2003, nearly 6 percent of the total Medicare budget for that year;

Whereas including the monies spent in hospitals, the total cost of dysphagia to the health care system is well over $1,000,000,000 annually;

Whereas the condition of dysphagia is a vastly underreported condition and not widely understood by the general public; and

Whereas observing June 2008 as National Dysphagia Awareness Month would raise public awareness about dysphagia and the need for early detection and treatment: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established.

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I mean, not being able to swallow sucks. But do we really need a month for it? Could picking what to call each month be pushed to some smaller committee? Could you solve this with an awareness campaign that doesn't tie it to a month?

When will congress start working, and stop messing around? I am slightly proud of them this year, I think they are starting to pass the budget before the financial year starts. This should be mandatory, and they should lock them in the room with no food and water during September if they can't agree on the budget.

I hope the karma police don't come by and make it difficult to swallow...