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President Joe Biden announced a budget plan for 2023 this week. This calls for a nearly 27% increase in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. This includes $ 28 billion for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement a preparatory program for future pandemics and $ 40 billion for HHS to invest in the production of vaccines and other medicines.
The FDA and CDC have also allowed most people over the age of 50 to take a second booster shot. However, federal officials provided little advice to consumers about who needed the shot and when.
This week’s panelists are Mary Agnes Chase from KHN, Amy Goldstein from The Washington Post, Jennifer Harborcorn from the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradan from KHN.
Among the points from this week’s episode:
- Biden’s claim to raise money for a future pandemic has strengthened his sense of urgency to strengthen public health infrastructure, but it is unclear whether Congress will take that path. Already, some lawmakers are opposed to the government’s request for more funding to fund additional covid-19 testing and vaccine efforts.
- A bipartisan group of senators have met for the past few days hoping to find a compromise to restore funding for testing and vaccination. Republicans are complaining that the previous covid allocation has been recklessly overused and lacks sufficient transparency as to where it went. They want to get back some of the unused money. There are still no signs that a group of senators have plans to move forward, but the upcoming Spring Break for Easter and the Passover may provide a deadline to help focus on the debate.
- The government initially sought more than $ 20 billion for testing and vaccines. Congress appeared ready to spend about $ 15 billion before it got stuck. Some reports suggest that Senate negotiators are talking about about $ 10 billion, which could provide funding for just a few months.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also announced this week that a new analysis shows that growth in US health care costs is slowing.
- Millions of Americans are expected to lose coverage of Medicaid once the emergency is over and the state is able to unregister those who no longer meet the eligibility requirements. Proponents have warned that some of these people will not move to other coverage options, such as the insurance offered in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance market.
- One of ACA’s priorities is to help reduce health care costs, and the law has set up an innovation center to fund projects looking for ways to do so. Experts at the time suggested that value-based care could make a difference, and the Center is guiding the study. But so far, there is little evidence that such efforts have produced meaningful results.
Also this week, Julie Rovner will interview Julie Appleby of KHN. Julie Appleby reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Invoice of the Month” for a very expensive ambulance ride. If you have ridiculous medical expenses that you would like to share with us, you can do it here.
In addition, as an additional credit, panelists also recommend talking about your favorite health policy for the week that you think you should read.
Mary Agnes Chase: David Owen, New Yorker’s 43 Years of Freelancer in the American Health System
Amy Goldstein: Stat’s “NIH Identity Crisis: Pandemic and the Search for New Leaders Leave the Crossroads Agency”, Lev Facher
Jennifer Harborcorn: The New York Times “The FDA was in a hurry to take medicine for preterm birth. Did it speed up faster than science?” Christina Juette
Rachana Pradan: The Washington Post “What Does This Look Like A Good Mother?” By William Wang
Also discussed in this week’s podcast:
The Wall Street Journal “You probably don’t need a fourth Covid shot,” by Philip Krause and Luciana Borio
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