A new state program created by Donald Louria, MD, will enable millions of New Jersey residents to have comprehensive physical exams each year at no cost. The program, called the Health Wellness Promotion Act (HWPA), was sponsored by Assemblyman John V. Kelly and became state law in November, 2000. It requires HMOs and health insurance carriers to pay for annual prevention exams for individuals 20 years of age and over. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to enact such legislation, aimed at disease prevention and healthier lifestyles.

The program was conceived by Louria, who is chairman emeritus of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. It is based upon a 17-point checklist of standard medical procedures, including tests for blood pressure, anemia, bowel cancer, PAP smears, and mammograms. Smoking cessation, weight control and seat belt usage are also part of the checklist. The exams will be covered by HMOs and insurance providers licensed to the state, which serve some three and a half million New Jerseyans. Estimated cost of the exam, which can be performed by a physician, nurse or nurse-practitioner, is approximately $220.

"We hope this program will become a model for other states around the nation because of its emphasis on prevention and wellness as an approach to improving the health of the public, and at the same time, to containing escalating costs of healthcare," says Louria. A Web site with the program’s goals and other health information has been established (http://www.healthfullife.umdnj.edu). It is supported by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and sponsored by Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc.