The Obama Administration launched a campaign this week to encourage healthy lifestyles and connect people to the coverage and care they need.
The "Healthy Self" campaign is the result of a joint effort between the White House and HHS, including the surgeon general. It promotes healthy living and highlights preventive services available for the newly insured, as well as for those who have always had insurance.
As part of the campaign, community events will be held throughout the country to educate Americans about preventive actions they can take to stay healthy and well, including healthy eating, leading a tobacco-free and drug-free lifestyle, taking care of emotional and mental well-being and taking advantage of preventive services like vaccinations and recommended cancer screenings that are offered at no out-of-pocket cost under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"Coverage is an important step, and it gets a lot of attention, but it's only one piece of the puzzle," said HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell during a speech announcing the initiative, reported The Hill. "How we get people to use their coverage has the potential to create healthier communities, discover illnesses earlier on when they're easier to treat and drive down health costs across the system."
Ms. Burwell will travel to Wisconsin on Monday for the first of 50 "Healthy Self" outreach events that will run through August.