title: The Affordable Care Act: new opportunities for cardiac rehabilitation in the workplace?
abstract: Many people affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) are working age. Employers bear a large percentage of the costs associated with CVD. Employers pay 80 times more in diagnosis and treatment than in prevention, although there is evidence that 50% to 70% of all diseases are associated with preventable health risks. As a result, the worksite is an appealing location to deliver health care.Cardiac rehabilitation has developed a track record of delivering improved outcomes for patients with CVD. Partnerships between cardiac rehabilitation providers and worksite health programs have the potential to improve referral and participation rates of employees with CVD. The current era of health reform in the United States that has been stimulated by the Affordable Care Act provides an ideal opportunity to reconsider worksite health programs as an essential partner in the health care team.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences (Dr Pinkstaff), University of North Florida, Jacksonville; Department of Physical Therapy and Integrative Physiology Laboratory (Dr Arena), College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago; Division of Cardiology (Dr Myers), VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Calif; Human Performance Laboratory (Dr Kaminsky), Clinical Exercise Physiology Program, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind; University of New Mexico (Ms Briggs), Albuquerque; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (Dr Forman), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass; Department of Medicine (Dr Patel), Division of Cardiology, Duke University, Durham, NC; and Department of Physical Therapy (Dr Cahalin), Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Fla.
authors.forename: Sherry O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Pinkstaff
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.forename: Paige
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: Mahesh J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Lawrence P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Cahalin
mesh_terms: D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019468:Disease Management; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace