ID HCR039

Approximately 700,000 Americans suffer stroke annually, with 150,000 deaths, and many survivors experience severe neurologic damage.

Stroke costs the United States an estimated $63 billion in 2007, with Idaho's costs estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Nearly one-quarter of Idaho's current Medicaid budget is spent on chronic costs for disabled seniors, much of which covers assistance for stroke victims.

Organized stroke care systems that include prevention, public awareness, trained emergency medical services, and coordinated protocols between rural hospitals and medical centers produce better survival rates and lower morbidity.

The Health Quality Planning Commission within the Department of Health and Welfare is encouraged to study Idaho's stroke systems of care and develop a plan to address stroke identification and management.