HHS Sees Boost In Spending Levels Partly Thanks To Congress’ Pledge To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Media outlets take a look at how the spending bill breaks down for health-related agencies.
CQ:
Labor-HHS-Education: Health Programs Get A Boost
HHS would receive approximately $98.7 billion, compared to the $87.1 billion enacted for fiscal 2017, according to the bill, explanatory language and a Senate summary. That includes $5.1 billion for the Food and Drug Administration and $5.5 billion for the Indian Health Service, whose funds are provided respectively in the bill's Agriculture and Interior titles. (Siddons, 3/21)
The Hill:
Funding Bill Gives $3 Billion Boost For NIH Medical Research
The government funding bill unveiled Wednesday night boosts funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $3 billion, an investment touted by both parties. The increase, which brings total funding for the fiscal year to $37 billion, is a reflection of the bipartisan support for the NIH. (Sullivan, 3/21)
Politico Pro:
Spending Deal Boosts HHS Budget By $10B
FDA received just a small boost to its taxpayer dollars — $134 million — bringing its total taxpayer money for fiscal 2018 to $2.9 billion. When combined with industry user fees, FDA’s total funding would stand at $5.2 billion, or nearly $500 million more than the previous year. (Cancryn, 3/21)
The Hill:
Congress To Boost Opioid Treatment, Prevention Dollars
Congress is adding a several billion dollar boost to the omnibus in order to combat the opioid epidemic — an effort to bolster prevention, treatment and law enforcement initiatives to combat the crisis killing thousands of people each year. The $1.3 trillion spending package allocates around $4 billion to the opioid epidemic, much of which is new money appropriated this year. (Roubein, 3/21)
CQ:
Military Construction-VA: Boost For Health Care, Housing
VA medical care accounts would receive $68.8 billion of the new money allotted in the omnibus. In the final bargaining, appropriators provided a $2 billion increase for VA hospital maintenance and construction to help fix aging infrastructure and shore up in-house facilities so veterans don't need to make as much use of the existing private care alternative, known as the Veterans Choice Program. Choice, as it is known, has perennially run short of cash since its inception in 2014. The fiscal 2018 spending bill doesn't provide any additional funds for the program. For fiscal 2019, the administration is asking for $85.5 billion for the VA, which would amount to a $4 billion increase over this year's proposed funding, which is nearly six months late. (Mejdrich, 3/21)
