Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS' $95.4 Billion Budget In Trump's Plan: CDC Faces Big Cut, But NIH And FDA Get A Boost
The Hill: Trump Releases Budget Proposal For Health Department
The Department of Health and Human Services would receive $95.4 billion under the budget proposal released by the Trump administration Monday. Under the proposal, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would face a cut but the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration would see increases. (Hellmann, 2/12)
Modern Healthcare: Trump Calls For $18 Billion Cut To HHS Funding
Trump's proposed budget allocates $68.4 billion to HHS, a 21% decrease or $17.9 billion less than what the agency received in fiscal 2017. It's unclear if the proposed cuts, or any of the proposals outlined in the budget documents released Monday, will be enacted given that Congress just passed a two-year budget bill. The plan received immediate praise from HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Monday. "The president's budget makes investments and reforms that are vital to making our health and human services programs work for Americans and to sustaining them for future generations," Azar said in a statement. (Dickson, 2/12)
Politico Pro: Trump Budget Seeks Deep Cuts To HHS, Entitlements
In the meantime, the White House is looking to take a hatchet to public health departments by consolidating several agencies into the National Institutes of Health — including workplace safety initiatives that the administration argues are outdated and unnecessary. “Almost 50 years later, the majority of schools of public health include coursework, and many academic institutions have developed specializations in these areas,” the administration wrote in its justification for shuttering federal occupational health and safety training programs. (Cancryn, 2/12)
CQ: HHS: Trump Seeks Deep Health Funding Cuts And Health Law Repeal
While steep cuts are unlikely to become reality, the evolving HHS budget signals that the administration heard the appeals from lawmakers in both parties who support robust funding for medical research and disease prevention, especially amid public health crises like opioid abuse. (Siddons and McIntire, 2/12)
