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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 17, 2013 09:40 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | "Arthritis Awareness Month" |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution designating May 2013 as “Arthritis Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. According to the Arthritis Foundation, 50 million American adults, or one in every five, have doctor diagnosed arthritis. Additionally, arthritis affects 300,000 children under the age of 18. Accordingly, arthritis prevalence increases with age: 50 percent of adults age 65 and older have some form of arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that by the year 2030, 67 million American adults will suffer from some arthritis. The cost of arthritis goes far beyond just the physical effects that plague the individual. Arthritis and related conditions cost the U.S. economy over $86 billion per year in medical care and lost wages. The total annual cost of osteoarthritis (OA) per person living with it is approximately $5,700. Arthritis annually results in over 44 million outpatient visits, about 1 million hospitalizations and more than 9,000 deaths. Please join me in raising awareness of this painful and costly disease, which affects a large portion of our population. |
Introduced as HR292