Oral

While prevention and public health have the potential to bend the healthcare cost curve, public health investments have been underfinanced. At the federal level, the CDC budget decreased from $6.62 billion in 2005 to $6.32 billion in 2011; decreasing to $20.28 per person by FY2011. At the state level, median state funding for public health decreased to $30.9 per capita. At the local level, 50% of local health departments reported reduced budgets. Nearly all public health is funded through discretionary appropriations, with Congress determining the amount public health receives each fiscal year. This type of financing makes it difficult to sustain, and enhance, public health. To address this, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Prevention and Public Health Fund, America’s first mandatory funding stream for public health. The Fund must be used “to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health, and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public health care costs.” $15 billion is available to the Fund between FY2010-FY2019, a $1.5-$2 billion annual increase for public health, beyond the $6.32 billion in annual CDC funds. While the Fund is not supposed to supplant existing discretionary spending, Congress has the ability to eliminate the Fund, or redirect money from it. The funds could also be subject to sequestration. To illustrate how public health financing works, speakers will discuss 550, and the impact of the ACA on population health services (e.g., maternal child health, mental health and oral health programs), and public health financing.

Session Objectives: 1. Discuss the impact of the ACA on population health services, in particular, on maternal child health, mental health and oral health 2. Discuss the impact of the ACA on public health financing. 3. Explain why public health investments – at the federal, state and local levels – need to be increased.