February 5, 2002 - Health Programs
in President's Proposed Budget
A $489 billion proposed fiscal 2003 budget for the federal Department
of
Health and Human Services sent to Congress by President Bush yesterday
includes an increase of $3.7 billion or 15.7 percent over 2002 for the
National Institutes of Health, the largest year-to-year increase ever
for NIH.
Proposed funding changes for some other federal health programs
include:
- An overall reduction of $394 million in the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA), where increases for abstinence education
and bioterrorism hospital preparedness would be offset by cuts in
support for health professions development and health care facilities.
The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant would be held at the 2002
level of $739 million.
- A cut of $1 billion or 15 percent from 2002 for the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, including a reduction of $57 million in
the division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which
includes school health.
-
An increase of $57 million, to $3.2 billion, for the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), with $60 million
added to the Substance Abuse Block Grant. The Mental Health Block Grant,
which includes Children’s Mental Health Services, would be held at the
2002 level.
- A decrease of $49 million or 16 percent in the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, as part of a department-wide HHS effort to achieve
efficiencies in research. Proposed funding for Research on Health Care
Quality and Outcomes would be reduced by $64 million from the 2002 level
of $185 million.
- States would be allowed to retain $3.2 billion in unspent State
Children’s Health Insurance Funds due to be returned to the Treasury at
the end of 2002 and 2003, under proposed changes in the SCHIP
legislation.
Source: Appendix to Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year
2003.
