Public Health Funding And OMB Director Mulvaney ’s “Taxpayer First” Test

The first formal budget of the Trump era—billed as a “Taxpayer First” budget—contains some very bad news when it comes to the health of the American public. It proposes dramatic cuts in federal investments that keep us healthy and protected from harm, including a $1.2 billion cut from the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is on top of the catastrophic cuts that will occur with the loss of the Prevention and Public Health Fund if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. It is the opposite of both what American taxpayers have asked for and what is owed to them. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney describes this as a “Taxpayer First” budget, based on the criterion that federal spending needs to be responsive to what, the administration says, hardworking taxpayers want. Programs need to be effective to avoid ripping off taxpayers, and they need to provide value for the dollar to those who are paying. The Mulvaney budget flunks the test on both of these grounds and instead puts the health and pocketbooks of Americans—taxpayers—at risk. Prevention works—it saves lives and can save money. For example, vaccine programs—including rapid response initiatives that address measles outbreaks like we’ve seen at Disneyland and, more recently, in the Somali population in Minnesota—return up to $16 for every $1 invested. Yet, the administration’s budget proposes a cut of $89.5 million to vaccine programs...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Costs and Spending Featured GrantWatch Public Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Chronic Care Consumers Effectiveness Health Philanthropy Health Promotion and Disease PreventionGW vaccines Source Type: blogs