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  • Public Health Will Be Endangered By Proposed Tax Reform Bill

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact
    Theresa Spinner
    Director, Media and Public Relations Direct: 202-783-5551
    tspinner@naccho.org

    Public Health Will Be Endangered by Proposed Tax Reform Bill

    Washington, DC, November 16, 2017 – The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), representing nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments, urges Congress to revise tax reform plans that will result in severe cuts to public health programs.

    The proposed tax cuts may result in the near elimination of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, due to automatic reductions in response to deficit spending triggered by the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (SPAYGO). This would result in deep cuts to local health departments’ activities, including funding that supports response to ongoing infectious disease outbreaks including Hepatitis A, mumps, and measles. “Our communities deserve better. Local health departments depend on the continued financial support provided by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which is absolutely critical to their success,” said Laura Hanen, MPP, NACCHO Interim Executive Director and Chief of Government Affairs.

    In addition, the tax plan removes the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate provision. “Taking away the individual mandate in the ACA could further destabilize insurance markets, and limit healthcare access for the most vulnerable Americans,”

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    continued Hanen. “The proposed tax plans in the House and Senate would make healthcare access for everyone more expensive.”

    The Prevention and Public Health Fund makes up 12% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) funding. Among the CDC programs at risk are the 317 Immunization Program, Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and Diabetes Prevention.

    About NACCHO
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    The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.