Coalition for Health Funding letter to Budget leaders urging them to increase money in the Budget Resolution for public health programs
March 31, 2009
IT'S TIME TO MAKE PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING
A NATIONAL PRIORITY
March 25, 2009
Dear Member of Congress:
Federal public health agencies and programs have never been more important as the nation struggles to overcome the devastating effects of the deepening recession. In recognition of the role public health programs and agencies have in providing safety net services, lowering health care costs, and providing skilled jobs in healthcare technology and biomedical and behavioral research, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) made an impressive down payment in selected areas. The undersigned organizations deeply appreciate the actions of Congress and the Administration in this regard.
The FY 2010 budget provides an opportunity to address the ongoing needs and capacities of the entire public health service and ensure that growth in core agency missions is sustained and predictable as the recent Institute of Medicine report HHS in the 21st Century recommends. Many core activities of most of the public health agencies have been cut, flat-funded, or received smaller than inflation increases over the past four years and longer. Estimated losses total $6.8 billion, 13.5 percent, in purchasing power alone. If adequately supported, public health programs are in a position to help all Americans cope with worsening economic realities, while also providing a way forward to control health care costs by preventing disease, identifying the most effective treatments, discovering new therapies and cures, and protecting our food and drug supply.
The undersigned organizations believe that an increase of $7.4 billion is needed in FY 2010 to accomplish the core missions and activities of the major federal public health agencies. These include:
? Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Maintaining a vigorous portfolio of investigator-initiated basic research and pivotal translational and clinical studies to address the myriad health challenges that confront the American people and to develop a stable pool of talented new investigators whose ideas and fresh perspectives are vital to invigorating the research enterprise.
? Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Improving community-based prevention and early intervention activities that address costly chronic diseases, infectious diseases, including those that are becoming increasingly drug-resistant, strengthening public health capacity and ensuring those with disabilities reach their highest potential in function and health.
? Access to Safety Net Health Care Services: Assuring access to basic and targeted health care services for the rapidly growing numbers of Americans who lack health insurance as recession-related unemployment increases.
? Health Professions Education: Assuring that there is a well-trained, diverse health and public health workforce to serve as the foundation for the nation's health care system
? Mental Health and Substance Abuse: Assuring access to needed mental health and substance abuse services for hundreds of thousands who must wait months for care, including Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; reducing the 15-20 year lag from bench to bedside of promising new treatments.
? Health Services Research: Building the evidence needed to ensure patients get the right care at the right time, every time; providing decision makers with information that will help control unsustainable costs.
? Health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives: Reversing current health disparities for this population that now suffers a life expectancy that is four years lower than the general population.
? Food and Drug Safety: Assuring the nation has a safe food supply and a safe and effective supply of drugs and medical devices.
Our recommendation does not include, but rather is over and above, emergency funding requests.
To respond to this letter, please contact Dr. Marcia Mabee, Executive Director, Coalition for Health Funding: [email protected]; Voice - 703-709-3001; FAX - 703-709-3003; 11479 Waterview, Suite 200; Reston, VA 20190.
Sincerely,
Academy of Radiology Research
Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research
AIDS Action
Alliance for Aging Research
Alzheimer's Association
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Neurology Professional Association
American Academy of Nursing
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Dental Research
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association for Health Education
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
American Association of Anatomists
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
American College of Clinical Pharmacology
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American College of Preventive Medicine
American College of Rheumatology
American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Medical Women's Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Pain Foundation
American Pediatric Society
American Physiological Society
American Podiatric Medical Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
American School Health Association
American Social Health Association
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
American Statistical Association
American Thoracic Society
AO North America
APIC-Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology
Arkansas 5 A Day Coalition
Arthritis Foundation
Association for Clinical Research Training
Association for Prevention Teaching and Research
Association for Psychological Science
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Independent Research Institutes
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Association of Schools of Public Health
Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses
Autism Society of America
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Be Active New York State
Biophysical Society
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Brain Injury Association of America
California Center for Public Health Advocacy
California Food Policy Advocates
CDC Coalition
CDC Coalition
Center for Behavioral Epidemiology and Community Health, San Diego State University
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science
Child Welfare League of America
Coalition for American Trauma Care
Coalition for Health Funding
Coalition for Health Services Research
Coalition of Urban Serving Universities
Columbia University Medical Center
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Research Education and Support (CARES) Foundation, Inc.
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition
Council of Accredited MPH Programs
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Critical Illness and Trauma Foundation
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Digestive Disease National Coalition
Directors of Health Promotion and Education
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Easter Seals
Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Emergency Nurses Association
Epilepsy Foundation
Families USA
Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences
Friends of AHRQ
Friends of NCHS
Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Hepatitis Foundation International
HIV Medicine Association
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
International Myeloma Foundation
Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Langlade County Healthy Ways Coaltion
Lupus Research Institute
March of Dimes Foundation
Maryland Patient Advocacy Group
Medical Library Association
Meharry Medical College
Mental Health America
Michigan Fitness Foundation
Morehouse School of Medicine
National AHEC Organization
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Biomedical Research
National Association of Children's Hospitals
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD)
National Association of State EMS Officials
National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
National Caucus of Basic biomedical Science Chairs
National Coalition for Cancer Research (NCCR)
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Council on Diversity in the Health Professions
National Down Syndrome Society
National Environmental Health Association
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition
National Foundation for Trauma Care
National Gerontological Nursing Association
National Health Council
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National League for Nursing
National Marfan Foundation
National Network of Health Career Programs in Two-Year Colleges (NN2)
National Nursing Centers Consortium
National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
National Primate Research Centers
National Respite Coalition
National Rural Health Association
National Violence Prevention Network
National Foundation for Mental Health
Ohio Public Health Association
Oncology Nursing Society
Oregon Health & Science University
PATH
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Population Association of America/Association of Population Centers
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Renal Physicians Association
Researchers against Inactivity-related Disorders (RID)
Scleroderma Foundation
Shape Up America!
Society for Adolescent Medicine
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine
Society for Nutrition Education
Society for Pediatric Research
Society for Public Health Education
Society for Research in Child Development
Society for Women's Health Research
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Gynecologic Oncologists
Spina Bifida Association
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
The AIDS Institute
The American College of Surgeons
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
The Shock Society
Trust for America's Health
United Jewish Communities
United Spinal Association
University of Pittsburgh Office of Health Sciences Diversity
UNM Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity
Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Young People's Healthy Heart Program at Mercy Hospital
