ACP calls for funding of vital health programs

The American College of Physicians issued a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations regarding appropriations for the 2016 fiscal year.

In the letter, Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, ACP president, advocates that Reps. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., committee chairman, and Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., ranking member, allocate financial support for initiatives and programs that the ACP believes are essential.

"I urge you to both support and make the needed investments in vital federal programs and initiatives designed to maintain and expand primary care, ensure an adequate physician workforce and promote public health," Riley wrote. "I reaffirm ACP's FY2016 funding priorities and urge you to prioritize funding to support programs that have a proven track record of effectiveness in supporting workforce and other national health care priorities within your increased allocation."

On behalf of ACP, Riley called for $375 million in funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, $71 million for the Primary Care and Training Enhancement program and $810 million for the National Health Service Corps. He expressed support for a provision that would grant the CMS the ability to authorize an exemption for hospitals, physicians and others who were penalized under the Stage 2 Meaningful Use program for electronic health records in 2015.

Riley also voiced concerns about provisions that could be harmful to public health and primary care.

He said that the ACP would oppose a provision in the FY2016 House Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill regarding electronic cigarettes.

"This legislation would significantly weaken the FDA's ability to regulate electronic cigarettes and to prevent youth marketing and sales, such as the restriction of youth-oriented advertising and marketing and providing strong oversight of online sales to ensure age restrictions are being enforced," he wrote.

Riley also said that the ACP would oppose provisions in the FY2016 House Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill that remove funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, limit evidence-based clinical guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and prohibit funding for research on prevention of firearm-related injury and death by federal agencies.

"The College is keenly aware of the fiscal pressures facing the Committee but strongly believes the United States must invest robustly in outcomes research, primary care programs, physician workforce, and public health — and their proven track record of effectiveness — in order to achieve a high performance health care system and build necessary capacity in our primary care workforce and public health system," Riley concluded in the letter.

Reference:

ACP. Letter to H Rogers and N Lowey from WJ Riley. Available at: https://www.acponline.org/acp_policy/letters/acp_letter_house_appropriations_year_end_priorities_2015.pdf