Are essential health and behavioral health services a priority for our elected officials? We got a clear picture when House leaders offered their 2011 continuing resolution and President Obama proposed his 2012 budget this past week. Both the continuing resolution to fund federal agencies for the current fiscal year and the President’s budget proposal for next year cut billions of dollars from the federal budget. Some essential health services are surprising targets. Cost Per Person to Restore Proposed Health Cuts For a total savings of $2 billion, or just over six dollars a person, would we choose to slice what they chose to slice, or would we make health services a bigger priority? The continuing resolution proposed to cut $1.3 billion from community health centers. These centers are located in every state. They provide comprehensive primary care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. They employ doctors, dentists, nu...
An occasional column focusing on federal, state, and local health policy