I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 583
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for arthritis research 
and public health, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 2, 2005
Mr. PICKERING (for himself, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. 
HOLDEN, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. MCNULTY, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. MATHESON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
HALL, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. DAVIS of Ala-
bama, Mr. OWENS, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. ROGERS of 
Alabama, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mr. KILDEE, and 
Mr. UPTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
arthritis research and public health, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arthritis Prevention, 
Control, and Cure Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are 
among the most common conditions in the United 
States. There are more than 100 different forms of 
arthritis, of which the 2 most common forms are os-
teoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 
(2) Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases 
cause severe and chronic pain, swollen tissue, liga-
ment and joint destruction, deformities, permanent 
disability, and death. Arthritis and other rheumatic 
diseases erode patients’ quality of life and can di-
minish their mental health, impose significant limi-
tations on their daily activities, and disrupt the lives 
of their family members and caregivers. 
(3) One out of every 3, or nearly 70,000,000, 
adults in the United States suffer from arthritis or 
chronic joint symptoms. The number of individuals 
in the United States with arthritis will grow as the 
number of older Americans continues to increase 
dramatically in the next few decades. 
(4) Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases af-
fect all types of people of the United States, not just 
older individuals. Arthritis and other rheumatic dis-
eases disproportionately affect women in the United 
States, and nearly 3 of every 5 individuals with ar-
thritis are younger than 65 years of age. Today,
8,400,000 young adults ages 18 through 44 have ar-
thritis and millions of others are at risk for devel-
oping the disease. 
(5) Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are 
the leading cause of disability among adults in the 
United States. More than 8,000,000 people in the 
United States are disabled by arthritis and other 
rheumatic diseases. By 2020, arthritis will limit the 
daily activities of nearly 12,000,000 individuals. 
(6) Nearly 60 percent of people of the United 
States with arthritis are of working age. In general, 
people with arthritis have a low rate of participation 
in the workforce. Arthritis is exceeded only by heart 
disease as a cause of work disability. 
(7) Nearly 300,000 children in the United 
States, or 3 children out of every 1,000, have some 
form of arthritis or other rheumatic disease. It is the 
sense of Congress that the substantial morbidity as-
sociated with pediatric arthritis warrants a greater 
Federal investment in research to identify new and 
more effective treatments for these diseases. 
(8) Arthritis results in 750,000 hospitalizations, 
44,000,000 outpatient visits, and 4,000,000 days of 
hospital care every year, according to the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
(9) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention estimate that the annual cost of medical care 
for arthritis is $51,000,000, and the estimated an-
nual total cost of arthritis to the United States, in-
cluding lost productivity, exceeds $86,000,000. 
(10) In 1975, the National Arthritis Act of 
1974 (Public Law 93–640) was enacted to promote 
basic and clinical arthritis research, establish Multi-
purpose Arthritis Centers, and expand clinical 
knowledge in the field of arthritis. The Act was suc-
cessfully implemented, and continued funding of ar-
thritis-related research has led to important ad-
vances in arthritis control, treatment, and preven-
tion. 
(11) Early diagnosis, treatment, and appro-
priate management of arthritis can control symp-
toms and improve quality of life. Weight control and 
exercise can demonstrably lower health risks from 
arthritis, as can other forms of patient education, 
training, and self-management. The genetics of ar-
thritis are being actively investigated. New, innova-
tive, and increasingly effective drug therapies, joint 
replacements, and other therapeutic options are 
being developed.
(12) While research has identified many effec-
tive interventions against arthritis, such interven-
tions are broadly underutilized. That underutiliza-
tion leads to unnecessary loss of life, health, and 
quality of life, as well as avoidable or unnecessarily 
high health care costs. Arthritis self-management 
can reduce both patient pain and health care costs, 
with some self-management programs reducing ar-
thritis pain by 20 percent and physician visits by 40 
percent. Yet less than 1 percent of the 49,000,000 
people in the United States with arthritis participate 
in such programs, and self-management courses are 
not offered in all areas of the United States. 
(13) Rheumatologists are internists or pediatric 
sub-specialists that are uniquely qualified by an ad-
ditional 2 to 4 years of training and experience in 
the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic conditions. 
Typically, rheumatologists act as consultants, but 
also often act as managers, relying on the help of 
many skilled professionals, including nurses, physical 
and occupational therapists, psychologists, and social 
workers. Many rheumatologists conduct research to 
determine the cause and effective treatment of dis-
abling and sometimes fatal rheumatic diseases.
(14) Recognizing that the Nation requires a 
public health approach to arthritis, the Department 
of Health and Human Services established impor-
tant national goals related to arthritis in its Healthy 
People 2010 initiative. Moreover, various Federal 
and non-Federal stakeholders have worked coopera-
tively to develop a comprehensive National Arthritis 
Action Plan: A Public Health Strategy. 
(15) Greater efforts and commitments are need-
ed from Congress, the States, providers, and pa-
tients to achieve the goals of Healthy People 2010, 
implement a national public health strategy con-
sistent with the National Arthritis Action Plan, and 
lessen the burden of arthritis on citizens of the 
United States. 
SEC. 3. ENHANCING THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES RE-
LATED TO ARTHRITIS OF THE CENTERS FOR 
DISEASE 
CONTROL 
AND 
PREVENTION 
THROUGH THE NATIONAL ARTHRITIS ACTION 
PLAN. 
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 314 the following: