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| Brian Krannawitter |
2009-2010 Accomplishments
The association and its allies successfully defended the state’s smoke-free law. A bill which would have allowed an exemption to the law was defeated and Nebraska health advocates celebrated the fact that the state has now been smoke-free for more than a year.
A stroke registry bill was introduced and will carry over to the next session, giving advocates the opportunity to continue to educate officials on the burden of stroke and highlight strategies to improve stroke care.
2010-2011 Nebraska Public Policy Priorities
Obesity Prevention
- Require physical education for graduation. Currently, 38 states require physical education for graduation (including Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota). All Nebraska schools, via Rule 10, are required to offer physical education in grades K-8 and health and wellness in grades 9-12. Nebraska schools are not required to have PE as a prerequisite to graduate (local school districts may require PE as a graduation requirement).
- Support efforts to make nutrition standards for schools that are consistent with the beverage, snack, and reimbursable guidelines for the Healthy Schools Program.
- Support efforts to increase the SSB tax that are consistent with American Heart Association criteria.
Tobacco Control
- Support significant increase in the tobacco excise tax. Currently, Nebraska is at $.64 cents which ranks Nebraska at 38th in the United States.
- Increase funding for tobacco control programming. Support an increase in funding for tobacco prevention and programming. Currently, Nebraska spends about $4 million per year which puts it at 18.6% of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) minimum recommended level of $21.5 million.
- Protect NE smoke-free law.
Funding for Heart Disease and Stroke
- Secure additional funding for the heart disease and stroke program. Explore opportunities to generate and direct additional fiscal resources for the NE heart and stroke program.
STEMI and Stroke Systems of Care
- Advocate for Improvement of State EMS Capacity and Hospital Systems of Care for STEMI and Stroke. Explore opportunities to fund programs that enhance both STEMI and stroke systems of care. Work to ensure that coordinated systems of care are statewide or regional, and accessible to all communities, addressing the entire patient continuum of care.
Quality & Availability of Care
- Support policies that protect and extend health coverage to all Americans. Work to ensure that health coverage is universal, continuous, high-quality, administratively simple, and affordable both to individuals and to society and that barriers faced by individuals with pre-existing conditions are addressed. Assure that efforts to expand access include coverage for evidence-based prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke.
- Protect funding for Office of Women's Health and Office of Minority Health
What does healthcare reform mean to you?
We are grateful for the dedicated members of the You're the Cure network who are willing to stand up - and speak up - for public health policies that protect the citizens of Nebraska. Your voice does make a difference.
Looking for more facts on the impact healthcare reform will have for heart disease and stroke patients? Visit our Hearts for Health Care frequently asked questions page. If you would like to learn more about the 2009-2010 issues, please contact Brian Krannawitter, call (402) 489-5115 or visit nebraskaheart.blogspot.com.
