Department of Health and Human Services

DHHS outlines the 8 principles of reform of President Obama’s health budget. The reform hopes to reduce healthcare cost and expand coverage. The budgest establishes a reserve fund in excess of $630 billion over 10 years to finance the reform; funded half by new revenue and half by savings proposals that promote efficiency and accountability, align incentives toward quality and encourage shared responsibility.

Funding Highlights:

Accelerates the adoption of health information technology and utilization of electronic health records

Expands research comparing the effectiveness of medical treatments to give patients and physicians better information on what works best.

Invests over $6 billion for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health as part of the Administration’s multi-year commitment to double cancer research funding.

Strengthens the Indian health system with sustained investments in health care services for American Indians and Alaska Natives to address persistent health disparities and foster healthy Indian communities.

Invests $330 million to increase the number of doctors, nurses, and dentists practicing in areas of the country experiencing shortages of health professionals.

Supports families by providing additional funding for affordable, high-qualify child care, expanding Early Head Start and Head Start, and creating the Nurse Home Visitation program to support first-time mothers.

Strengthens the Medicare program by encouraging high qualify and efficient care, and improving program integrity.

Invest over $1 billion for Food and Drug Administration food safety efforts to increase and improve inspections, domestic surveillance, laboratory capacity and domestic response to prevent and control foodborne illness.