NACCHO has created a sign on letter to send to the Senate about the American Healthcare Act. The letter focuses on the need to support the Prevention and Public Health Fund as well as Medicaid funding. SACCHOs, local health departments and other organizations are encouraged to sign on to this letter and/or use this as a starting place for your own letter. We will see how many signatures we get in the next few weeks and then send it to all Members of the Senate.The letter is below (and linked here) and a sign on form is here. The deadline to sign on is March 31.Please let me know any questions you have. Thanks.--------------------------------------------
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Senate Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Senate Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:
As organizations responsible for protecting the public’s health, we respectfully request your continued support for vital public health programs currently funded through the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). We are concerned that long-standing public health programs now receiving resources through the PPHF authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are in jeopardy due to the elimination of the Fund in the American Healthcare Act under consideration in the House of Representatives.
Among the programs at risk at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the 317 Immunization Program, Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grants, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program, and Diabetes Prevention program, among others. The PPHF provides vital resources to governmental public health at the federal, state, and local levels, and its elimination will serve to further erode our public health system. Investment in programs that prevent people from getting sick is a critical component to reduce health care costs in our nation.
In addition, public health leaders are concerned that the American Healthcare Act ends funding in FY2020 for the Medicaid expansion in 32 states, which has provided access to primary and emergency care to millions of Americans. The bill also caps federal Medicaid funding that will ultimately result in shifting responsibility to the states and counties ― leaving governors, state legislatures, and local governments facing tight budgets with no choice but to reduce coverage for millions of seniors, low-income families, people with disabilities, and children.
Eliminating public health programs that are now funded by resources authorized by the ACA without a clear plan for replacement would seriously undermine the ability of counties and cities to protect and promote health. The loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for public health would have repercussions in communities across the country, hampering efforts to respond to foodborne outbreaks, prevent emerging infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika, and respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.
We urge you to sustain current investments in public health and prevention. Now more than ever we need a strong public health infrastructure that has the adequate capacity to promote health, prevent illness, and treat disease.
Sincerely,
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Eli Briggs
Sr. Government Affairs Director
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Washington DC
202-507-4194
ebriggs@naccho.org------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-08-2017 12:16
From: Eli Briggs
Subject: Take Action on ACA Repeal
As promised, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is beginning to move forward. Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee is marking up the Republican proposal to repeal and replace the ACA, which includes eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund after next year.
NACCHO released a statement on the bill on March 7, saying the bill "would severely handicap seniors and working families that are struggling to meet basic necessities, including food and shelter, and would create an untenable situation where increased costs will put healthcare out of reach for these citizens."
We have updated the Prevention and Public Health Fund alert on the "take action" section of our website. Please use the resources we have made available to send emails or call your Members of Congress.
Let me know any questions you have during this volatile time. Thank you for everything you do to protect the public's health.
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Eli Briggs
Sr. Government Affairs Director
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Washington DC
202-507-4194
ebriggs@naccho.org
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