Washington Highlights: June 8, 2007
Contents
Prior Issues
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House Appropriations Panel Approves Subcommittee
Allocations
The House Appropriations Committee June 5 gave formal approval
to its subcommittee allocations for FY 2008. The so-called 302(b)
allocations set spending limits for each of the 12 appropriations
subcommittees. Overall, the Appropriations Committee divided $953
billion among the 12 subcommittees, an increase of $80.3 billion
(9.2 percent) over the current year's funding level and $20.2 billion
more than the Administration's FY 2008 budget.
The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee received an allocation of
$151.1 billion, an increase of $6.6 billion (4.6 percent) over the
current year's funding level and $10.2 billion more than the President's
request. The Military Construction-Veterans Committee received $64.7
billion, an increase of $15 billion (30 percent) over the current
year's funding level and $4 billion more than requested by the President.
The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to release its
subcommittee allocations later this month.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
House Subcommittee Approves FY 2008 HHS Spending
Bill
The House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations
Subcommittee June 7 approved its FY 2008 spending bill. The subcommittee
was working with an allocation of $151.1 billion, an increase of
$6.6 billion (4.6 percent) over the current year's funding level
(see related story). Overall, the subcommittee's
bill provides $46.5 billion for Public Health Service programs,
an increase of $1.98 billion (4.4 percent) over the current year's
funding level.
For the National Institutes of Health, the bill provides $29.650
billion, an increase of $750 million (2.6 percent) above the current
year's funding level and $1.029 billion (3.6 percent) above the
President's request. However, the bill also increases the amount
of the transfer from NIH to the Global HIV/AIDS fund from the $99
million in FY 2007 to $300 million in FY 2008, which means the net
increase in the NIH budget is $549 million (1.9 percent) over FY
2007.
The NIH total includes $495 million for the common fund, appropriated
directly through the Office of the Director. This is an increase
of $12 million (2.5 percent), and the common fund remains at 1.67
percent of the total NIH appropriation.
The bill provides $228.3 million for Title VII health professions
programs, a $43.6 million (23.6 percent) increase over FY 2007.
The Title VII Centers of Excellence and Health Careers Opportunity
Programs each receive $28.4 million, for a $16.6 million (139 percent)
increase and $24.5 million (618 percent) increase, respectively.
The primary care medicine and dentistry programs are level funded
at $48.9 million, while the Area Health Education Centers receive
a $2.5 million (8.9 percent) increase over the current funding level.
The bill also includes $165.7 million for Title VIII nursing programs,
for a $15.9 million (10.7 percent) increase. Within Title VIII,
the nurse loan repayment and scholarship program is increased by
$12.9 million (41.7 percent), while the nurse faculty loan program
receives a $3 million (62.9 percent) increase.
The subcommittee did not include a $100 million rescission from
the Title VII and VIII student loans programs proposed by the President
for FY 2008. The President's budget request would recall the "Federal
portion of the liquid assets" from the Health Professions Student
Loan, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, the Primary Care Loan, and
the Nursing Student Loan. Congress did not include the President's
proposed rescission in the FY 2007 joint funding resolution.
The bill provides $131.5 million for the National Health Service
Corps (NHSC), a $5.8 million (4.6 percent) increase over FY 2007
and $14.8 million (12.8 percent) above the President's request.
The subcommittee bill funds the NHSC Field appropriation at $40
million, the same as in FY 2007. The NHSC Recruitment appropriation,
which provides for Scholarship and Loan Repayment awards, is increased
to $91 million, a $6 million (6.6 percent) increase over the FY
2007 level.
The bill includes $307 million for Children's Hospitals Graduate
Medical Education, an increase of $10 million (3.3 percent) over
the current year's level.
The bill provides $329.6 million for the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is a $10.6 million (3.3 percent)
increase above FY 2007. $30 million is allocated for clinical effectiveness
research, a $15 million increase above last year, while patient
safety research is cut by $5 million to $79 million for FY 2008.
All of the AHRQ funding is a direct appropriation, rather than transfers
from other agencies, which is how the agency was funded in FY 2007
and in the President's proposed FY 2008 budget.
The Ryan White AIDS programs receive $2.212 billion for a $99.2
million (4.7 percent) increase over last year. Within this, the
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) receives $830.6 million, a $41
million (5.2 percent) increase.
For the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bill
provides a program level of $6.449 billion, an increase of $183
million (2.9 percent) over FY 2007.
The bill includes $1.7 billion within the Public Health and Social
Service Emergency Fund for biodefense and other activities, including
$948.1 million for pandemic flu preparedness. Within the CDC budget,
the bill provides $1.6 billion for terrorism preparedness and response,
which is a $48 million (3.1 percent) increase above last year.
The subcommittee bill includes $107 million for the National Institute
on Disability and Rehabilitation Research within the Department
of Education, equal to the President's request and the FY 2007 level.
The full House Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled
to consider the bill June 14, with House floor action the following
week.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Erica Froyd, Director, Public Health and Research Legislative Affairs
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
efroyd@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Matthew Shick, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Tannaz Rasouli, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
trasouli@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
House Panel Approves VA Appropriations
The House Appropriations Committee June 6 approved (56-0) the FY
2008 spending
bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA). The
bill provides $36.6 billion for VA medical care, a $4.5 billion
(14 percent) increase over the FY 2007 joint funding resolution
and $2.4 billion (7.1 percent) above the President's budget. For
the first time, the total budget for VA health care budget exceeds
(by $294 million) the recommendation in the Independent Budget proposal
by veterans service organization and endorsed by the Friends of
VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA).
The bill provides $480 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic
Research program, a $66.3 million (16 percent) increase over the
FY 2007 includes joint funding resolution and a $69 million (16.8
percent) above the President's budget. The FY 2007 Emergency Supplemental
(P.L. 110-28) includes an additional $32.5 million for VA research
[see Washington
Highlights,
May 25] bringing the FY 2007 total to $446.2 million. The AAMC,
as an executive member of the FOVA coalition, recommends $480 million
for VA research.
VA Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Chet Edwards (D-Texas) has
indicated the bill will be on the House floor as early as June 13.
The Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA) Appropriations
Subcommittee is scheduled to consider its version July 12.
At $64.7 billion, the total bill provides $4 billion more than
the President's budget. The White House has threatened to veto any
spending bills exceeding the President's requests.
Information:
Matthew Shick, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
AAMC Comments on FDA's Draft Guidance for Adverse
Event Reporting
The AAMC June 6 sent a comment letter to the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in support of their draft guidance for Clinical Investigators,
Sponsors, and Investigational Review Boards on Adverse Event Reporting
- Improving Human Subject Protection. The draft guidance is consistent
with the recommendations of the AAMC and other organizations provided
at an FDA hearing in March 2005.
The draft guidance addresses the inundation of Institutional Review
Boards (IRBs) with large volumes of individual adverse event reports
that -- due to lack of context, detail, and analysis of clinical
significance -- hamper the ability of IRBs to protect the rights
and welfare of human subjects. The FDA recognizes that the IRB sponsor
has the expertise, breadth of data, and responsibility for analyzing
adverse events and determining if an unanticipated problem exists.
Additionally, the FDA provides specific guidelines on what constitutes
a reportable unanticipated problem.
The AAMC comment letter also includes a number of suggestions to
further improve the draft guidance.
Information:
Howard Dickler, Director
AAMC Division of Biomedical and Health Sciences Research
hdickler@aamc.org
(202) 828-0567
House Clears Stem Cell Research Bill
The House June 7 passed (247-176) the "Stem Cell Research
Enhancement Act of 2007" (S.5)
clearing the measure for the President. The bill would allow federal
funding for research on new human embryonic stem cell lines, overturning
President Bush's 2001 ban [see Washington
Highlights,
April 13]. President Bush plans to veto
the measure when he returns from travel June 11. The House is unlikely
to garner the two-thirds majority necessary to override the President's
veto.
At June 7 event in the U.S. Capitol, Coalition for the Advancement
of Medical Research (CAMR) President Sean Tipton joined patients
and their families as well as scientists and others in the medical
community to thank the House and Senate for their strong bipartisan
support and passage of S. 5. The AAMC is a member of the CAMR Executive
Board.
Information:
Tony Mazzaschi, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
tmazzaschi@aamc.org
(202) 828-0059
Matthew Shick, Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Members of Congress Oppose Hospital Cuts Proposed
in Medicare IPPS Rule
A total of 63 Senators signed onto a letter
dated June 5 to CMS Acting Administrator Leslie Norwalk expressing
opposition to a portion of CMS' FY 2008 Medicare Inpatient Prospective
Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule that cuts $25 billion in hospital
inpatient operating and capital payments. The letter was spearheaded
by Senators Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kansas).
The Senate letter states the proposed cuts would "jeopardize
beneficiary access to critical hospital services" and "stifle
hospital investment in technology that will increase patient quality
and reduce health care costs."
In the FY 2008 IPPS proposed rule, CMS includes a 2.4 percent cut
to operating and capital payments in FYs 2008 and 2009. The cut
is intended to eliminate the effect of coding or classification
changes CMS claims would not reflect real changes in case-mix. The
agency also would freeze capital payments for all urban hospitals
(a 0.8 percent cut) and eliminate the capital payment add-on for
large urban hospitals (an additional 3 percent cut). The AAMC will
submit a comment letter. Comments are due June 12.
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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