PRINTER'S NO. 2804
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
598
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY RAPP, BIZZARRO, BOBACK, BROOKS, BROWN, BURNS,
CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DiGIROLAMO, FREEMAN,
GABLER, HELM, HILL-EVANS, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MACKENZIE,
MILLARD, MOUL, MURT, PICKETT, PYLE, READSHAW, RYAN, SCHMITT,
SONNEY, STAATS, VITALI AND ZIMMERMAN, OCTOBER 29, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, OCTOBER 29, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of November 2019 as "COPD Awareness Month"
in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a
term used to describe airflow obstruction that is associated
mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis; and
WHEREAS, COPD affects millions of individuals in the United
States every year; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 12 million adults 18 years of age or
older have reported a diagnosis of COPD; and
WHEREAS, COPD currently accounts for 1.5 million emergency
room visits, 726,000 hospitalizations and 8 million physician
office visits and hospital outpatient visits, all of which are
detrimental to the United States economy; and
WHEREAS, COPD costs the nation an estimated $42.6 billion in
direct and indirect medical costs annually; and
WHEREAS, COPD affects an estimated 714,000 Pennsylvania
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
residents and is the fourth leading cause of death in this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Research has identified a hereditary protein
deficiency called Alpha-1 antitrypsin and determined individuals
with this deficiency tend to develop COPD despite the lack of
exposure to smoking and other environmental triggers; and
WHEREAS, Recently, the death rate for women with COPD has
surpassed the death rate for men with COPD; and
WHEREAS, There is currently no cure for COPD although
spirometry testing and medical treatments exist to address
symptom relief and possibly slow progression of the disease; and
WHEREAS, Until there is a cure, the best approaches to
preventing COPD and its considerable health, societal and
mortality impacts lie in education, awareness and expanded
delivery of detection and management protocols; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of November 2019 as "COPD Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania
to promote greater public awareness, enhance education, erase
the stigma and increase early diagnosis of this disease in order
to save lives and reduce health care costs in this Commonwealth.
20190HR0598PN2804 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20