Are Heart And Lung Diseases Chronic Conditions? Ask The WMC, As It Urges Chronic Disease Focus - - AND Relaxed Air Pollution Standards

You gotta love the WMC:

The Journal Sentinel reports on its Newswatch blog (full text below) today that the powerful statewide business lobby wants more focus on chronic disease in the discussion of health care provision.

But it also wants lowered air pollution standards in southeastern Wisconsin, where a spate of dirty air alerts put people at risk for lung and heart ailments.

I guess some chronic diseases are worth fighting, and others, well, those can persist.

Go figure.

From newswatch:

THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2008, 11:54 a.m.By Rick Romell

WMC calls for focus on chronic disease

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's largest business lobbying group, said Thursday it has joined a national effort to highlight chronic disease - and its cost - as a key health-care issue in this year's presidential election.

WMC is part of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, a national coalition whose leaders include former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona.

In a statement, WMC said chronic disease accounts for 75% of health-care costs, and that half of costs are related to lifestyle choices such as smoking, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.

Health insurance in the United States is largely provided through business and other employers, with the employer typically paying most of the cost.