Hang on to preventive health care

As a physical therapist and lactation consultant, I am dedicated to promoting wellness and disease prevention. I have been corresponding with U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, to urge inclusion of preventive services in the proposed health-care bill. As a native of McArthur in Vinton County, now residing in Upper Arlington after years living across the United States, my perspective on the 15th Congressional District is unique.

While it represents a socioeconomically diverse population from rural southern Ohio to suburban Upper Arlington, preventive health-care needs remain consistent. Part of preventive health care includes education, support and access to healthy food choices. Stivers’ support for a grocery store in McArthur through Healthy Food for Ohio is much appreciated. This must be combined with equitable access to preventive health care. The Affordable Care Act set this expectation, but insurance compliance has been inconsistent at best for services such as mine that are working to establish good health from the start.

There is little money to be made on preventive health care. There is much to be saved and earned, as recent research attests an increase in annual lifetime savings of up to $40 billion if half of all infants were simply breastfed better to get the benefits of optimized IQ, and, therefore, job opportunity. Additionally, a recent WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms increased rates of caregivers now crediting WIC programs with making positive changes in how they fed their infants and themselves.

It takes time for preventive health care to manifest benefits. Policies must remain in place to support them. Block granting Medicaid and eliminating full coverage of preventive services does the opposite.

Allyson S. Wessells Upper Arlington