HOUSE RESOLUTION 18
(By Delegates Anderson, Angotti, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane,
Boggs, Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher, Campbell, Canterbury,
Caputo, Carmichael, Coleman, Compton, Craig, DeLong, Dempsey,
Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Fahey, Faircloth, Flanigan, Fox, Fragale,
Frederick, Givens, Hall, Harrison, Hatfield, Hrutkay, Hubbard,
Keener, Kominar, Kuhn, Leggett, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Mathews,
Mezzatesta, Overington, Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethtel, Pino,
Poling, Proudfoot, Prunty, Riggs, Romine, Schadler, Shaver,
Shelton, Smirl, J. Smith, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Stephens,
Susman, Swartzmiller, R. Thompson, R. M. Thompson, Trump, Tucker,
Walters, Warner, Webb, C. White, G. White, H. White, Williams,
Wills, Wright and Yeager)
[Introduced March 29, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Recommending endorsement of the national proclamation of National
Heart Failure Awareness Week.
Whereas, Congestive heart failure is a major United States
public health problem that impacts five million Americans or 1.5%
of the United States population; and
Whereas, Each year there are 550,000 new cases of congestive
heart failure diagnosed, with 200,000 deaths and one million
hospitalizations per year due to the disease; and
Whereas, Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of
hospitalization in patients over the age of 65; and
Whereas, Congestive heart failure patients with the most severe
symptoms have approximately 50% one-year survival rate and half of patients with even mild disease die within 5 years; and
Whereas, The vast majority of patients are not diagnosed until
late in the course of the disease; and
Whereas, A conservative estimate of annual United States health
expenditures for congestive heart failure is in excess of ten
billion dollars with the largest portion, eight billion dollars, of
this expenditure for the cost of hospitalizations; and
Whereas, Although current treatment guidelines recommend that
approximately 80% of heart failure patients receive ACE inhibitors
in combination with beta-blockers to extend life and reduce costly
hospitalizations but only 45% of patients are treated with ACE
inhibitors and 20% of patients receive beta-blockers; and
Whereas, The primary goals of "National Heart Failure Awareness
Week" are: (1) To promote research related to all aspects of heart
failure and provide a forum for presentation of that research; (2)
to educate heart failure caregivers and patients through programs,
publications and other media allowing for more effective treatment
and diagnosis of heart failure; and (3) to enhance the quality and
duration of life for those with heart failure; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the State of West Virginia endorses the national
proclamation of National Heart Failure Awareness Week; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Secretary of Health transmit the
treatment guidelines for congestive heart failure published by the
Heart Failure Society of America, Inc. to the appropriate health
care professionals in the State while urging their adoption of
these guidelines in their practice; and, be it
Further Resolved, That physicians and payors should be
encouraged to administer and provide reimbursement for
echocardiograms to all patients over 50 years of age with a history
of heart disease and begin appropriate treatment as early as
possible; and, be it
Further Resolved, That physicians and payors should be
encouraged to prescribe or provide reimbursement for the standard
of care for congestive heart failure, including FDA approved
beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors as well as other therapies that
have been shown to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated
with congestive heart failure; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the West Virginia Legislature endorses
the inclusion of the latest treatment advances for congestive heart
failure, including ACE inhibitor and beta-blocker therapies in the
curriculum of medical schools in the State.
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