Following is a statement released today from Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association:
"We strongly oppose the Senate's actions last night on the budget and appropriations bills that cut almost $5 billion from the Medicaid program and that cut additional funding from other critical public health programs. These votes will have little impact in helping reduce the federal deficit, yet they will have serious repercussions for those who depend on public health programs such as Medicaid to meet their basic health needs.
"While we appreciate that the Senate-passed bill includes significant cost savings from changes to the way the Medicaid program purchases prescription drugs, we believe that any savings should be reinvested in the program But most important, these savings are outweighed by the potential harm from funding cuts. Moreover, the bill gives states authority to require cost sharing such as co-pays and premiums for Medicaid beneficiaries, which will limit access to health care, especially among those who can least afford to pay.
"In a year when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita exacerbated the health needs of many vulnerable communities and devastated the public health infrastructure, it is disturbing that the last votes the Senate took were to cut vital programs that protect public health. Capping or reducing funding for programs such as Medicaid and the Food Stamp Program will endanger many individuals' already fragile access to care and health status. Also, such funding changes will not achieve the expected cost savings in the long term. Prevention is much less costly than treatment, and primary care is less expensive than emergency care.
"We also oppose the cuts in funding to public health programs as part of the fiscal year 2006 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The bill fails to provide adequate funding to protect the public's health, and, in fact, cuts existing funding for or eliminates many proven public health programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and other public health agencies. While achieving short-term cost savings, these cuts will yield considerable costs in the long term and hamper our efforts to prepare for and respond to a natural disaster or a flu pandemic. Funding for pandemic flu planning is woefully inadequate, too.
"In addition, the bill fails to create adequate mechanisms to compensate individuals for their medical care and other losses in the event that countermeasures such as vaccines prove harmful to their health. Legal liability is the basis for other compensation funds, particularly the Smallpox Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Providing legal liability protection for companies who create vaccines, but failing to adequately compensate individuals who are harmed by them protects industry's bottom line, not the nation's health."
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Founded in 1872, APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats. APHA represents a broad array of health officials, educators, environmentalists, policy- makers and health providers at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.
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Contact:
Sabrina Jones
American Public Health Association
202-777-2509
sabrina.jones@apha.org
