IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 470 

Expressing support for the designation of October 1, 2019, as ‘‘National 

Health Literacy Day’’ to recognize the value of health literacy in transforming and improving health and healthcare for all people in the United 

States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 2019 

Mr. LEVIN of California (for himself, Mr. GIANFORTE, Mr. ROUDA, and Mr. 

COX of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of October 1, 2019, 

as ‘‘National Health Literacy Day’’ to recognize the 

value of health literacy in transforming and improving 

health and healthcare for all people in the United States. 

Whereas health literacy is the degree to which individuals 

have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand 

basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions; 

Whereas, based on a national assessment, a majority of 

adults have intermediate health literacy, while more than 

75 million adults had basic or below basic health literacy; 


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Whereas mental health literacy is defined as knowledge and 

beliefs about mental disorders that aid in their recognition, management, or prevention; 

Whereas good mental health literacy may lead to better outcomes for those with mental disorders, particularly those 

with suicidal ideation, either by facilitating early helpseeking or by helping others identify early signs of mental disorders and seek help on behalf of another; 

Whereas language differences, cultural barriers, and low 

health literacy have been described as a ‘‘triple threat’’ 

to effective health communication between providers and 

patients that could harm the delivery of quality care for 

communities of color; 

Whereas, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality, low health literacy is consistently associated 

with increased hospitalizations, greater emergency care 

use, lower use of mammography, lower receipt of influenza vaccine, poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications appropriately, poorer ability to interpret labels 

and health messages, and, among seniors, poorer overall 

health status and higher mortality; 

Whereas experts estimate that the cost of low health literacy 

to the United States economy is between $106 billion to 

$238 billion annually; 

Whereas, when health literacy is measured, it has been shown 

that— 

(1) individuals with low health literacy scores had 

higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure; 

(2) States with high health literacy have lower rates 

of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure and have 

lower costs of prescription drugs purchased under the 


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Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) than States with low 

health literacy; and 

(3) there is a strong correlation between health literacy and healthcare costs, which are a serious challenge 

for individuals, families, and society as a whole; 

Whereas measuring health literacy is an objective process 

that produces results that can be scientifically obtained, 

measured, reported, assessed, improved, and rewarded; 

Whereas, while such measurement has already begun through 

data-driven means, such measurement has not been systematically used to assess individual health literacy and 

improve the health system throughout the United States; 

Whereas health literacy holds great promise to transform the 

health consciousness of people in the United States and 

around the world, and is essential for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system in preventing diseases and illness, improving wellness and longevity, improving patient care and outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs; 

Whereas health literacy empowers individuals to better engage in their health and with trained health professionals 

and caregivers because they are better educated about 

their bodies and how they work; 

Whereas people have the right to health information that 

helps them make informed decisions, and health education and services should be delivered in ways that are 

easy to understand and that improve health, longevity, 

and quality of life; 

Whereas knowledge of health and improvements in health literacy can encourage individuals to take action on their 


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health that can improve their health status and lower 

their costs despite their health status; 

Whereas, despite the breathtaking advances in reading literacy over the last century that have led to impressive 

economic, societal, and cultural advances, there is little 

systematic effort in the United States to improve health 

literacy generally, through public programs specifically 

and with individuals particularly; 

Whereas, in 2010, the Department of Health and Human 

Services produced a National Action Plan to Improve 

Health Literacy that lays out seven goals, including research and interventions to improve health literacy, but 

that action plan does not directly encourage patients to 

become more health literate or knowledgeable, has not 

been updated, and the recommendations contained in 

such action plan have not been implemented or reviewed; 

Whereas it is necessary to continue activities that are 

foundational to healthcare modernization and improvement in the United States, including— 

(1) improving health literacy, IQ, knowledge, and 

education about how the body works and how to maintain 

health appropriately; 

(2) promoting innovation in wellness and prevention; 

and 

(3) expanding rewards and incentives for healthy behavior; and 

Whereas organizations have recognized the month of October 

as ‘‘Health Literacy’’ month to encourage doctors and 

other health professionals to take an online health literacy assessment and provide education to improve patient engagement: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of 

3 ‘‘National Health Literacy Day’’; 

4 (2) encourages individuals to assess their health 

5 knowledge and literacy, and urges the Secretary of 

6 Health and Human Services to adopt new tools and 

7 incentives immediately to encourage individuals to 

8 assess and improve their health knowledge and lit9 eracy; 

10 (3) calls on the Secretary of Health and 

11 Human Services to issue a new action plan on health 

12 literacy that— 

13 (A) includes specific recommendations and 

14 concrete steps to improve and incorporate in15 centives into healthcare payment and delivery 

16 models that will improve health literacy; and 

17 (B) reflects the changes in knowledge and 

18 science about health literacy and the evolution 

19 in healthcare payment and delivery; and 

20 (4) encourages all interested parties to promote 

21 health literacy to transform the health and 

22 healthcare system of the United States. 

Æ 


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