National healthcare reform needs to include prevention measures such as screening programs in order to save money and improve health, according to a coalition of top U.S. health foundations.

The Convergence Partnership recently issued a letter to Congress citing a 2008 Trust for America's Health report that showed a 5.6:1 return on investment in prevention. "Over time, a focus on community prevention will improve health, save money, reduce demands on our health system, and, most important, lead to a nation of healthier people and healthier places to live," according to the statement.

"It is time to scale up these efforts by including robust financial support for community prevention in any health systems reform," the foundations added.

Recent polls show strong public support for including prevention in healthcare reform.

The group includes The California Endowment, The Kresge Foundation, Nemours, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and  Kaiser Permanente. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides technical support.