BILL NUMBER: ACR 131CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 128 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 18, 2012 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2012 ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 29, 2012 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 21, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Galgiani MARCH 19, 2012 Relative to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease awareness. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 131, Galgiani. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease awareness. This measure would encourage the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Public Health, and other state entities to partner with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stakeholders to improve education regarding COPD in the course of implementing the statewide strategic plan. This measure would also designate November 2012 as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month in California and encourage public officials and the citizens of California to increase awareness of the symptoms of, and the methods of preventing, COPD. WHEREAS, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is the third leading cause of death in the United States; and WHEREAS, COPD is a chronic and progressive disease that impacts an estimated 24 million Americans each year, approximately five million of whom are residents of California, and an estimated 1.6 million of whom suffer directly from the disease; and WHEREAS, In 2007, the national annual cost for COPD was estimated to be $42.6 billion and, in that same year, COPD caused approximately 121,000 deaths nationwide; and WHEREAS, The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development reported that hospitalizations associated with COPD alone amounted to an estimated $1.34 billion in medical costs within the state; and WHEREAS, Many patients suffering with COPD are not diagnosed until they have reached an advanced stage of COPD, which often includes a disabling degree of lung dysfunction; and WHEREAS, A diagnostic test for COPD, known as spirometry, is available for office use, allowing early diagnosis of COPD; and WHEREAS, Early diagnosis and management of COPD can effectively reduce the overall financial burden of this illness on publicly funded health care programs, including Medi-Cal; and WHEREAS, Achieving early diagnosis and proper management of COPD among California's diverse populations, within the Medi-Cal program as well as other publicly funded health care programs, requires overcoming cultural, language, and literacy challenges; and WHEREAS, Proper management of COPD can lead to an improved quality of life and self-sufficiency for patients who receive publicly funded benefits; and WHEREAS, The "Healthy People 2020" project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health concludes that, while primary care physicians are in a key position to provide optimal care to patients with COPD and to provide counseling during clinical or health center visits, primary care physicians need to be trained in the latest methods for diagnosing and treating the disease; and WHEREAS, The California COPD Coalition has developed a comprehensive plan to address COPD in the state, entitled the "Strategic Plan to Address COPD in California," which outlines six goal areas, including all of the following: prevention, quality of care, public health infrastructure and advocacy, surveillance, research, and public education awareness; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature encourages the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Public Health, and other state entities to, whenever possible, partner with COPD stakeholders to improve education in California regarding COPD in the course of implementing the statewide strategic plan; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature designates November 2012 as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month in California. The Legislature encourages public officials and the citizens of California to increase awareness about the symptoms of, and the methods of preventing, COPD; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.