Threat to Prevention and Public Health Fund Defeated

By Peter Kyriacopoulos, Senior Director of Public Policy, APHL

On September 14, the U.S. Senate defeated an attempt to eliminate the funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund -- created in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health reform law.

Voting on a procedural matter, the Senate rejected an amendment offered by Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska that would have used the resources in the Fund as an off-set for a new federal income tax reporting requirement that will be implemented by the Internal Revenue Service in 2012. The vote was especially significant because of the eight vote margin by which it was defeated, even though there was an extremely strong push by the business community that encouraged the Senate to pass the amendment.

The final vote tally can be found here; a letter of support from Secretary Sebelius (Health and Human Services) and Secretary Geithner (Treasury) is here.

The public health community has never come together so quickly and worked together as cohesively as it did in the effort to preserve the Prevention and Public Health Fund. This accomplishment will be easily replicated for any future attempts to reduce or eliminate the Fund and should send a very clear message to those who seek other uses for it: “Hands Off!”

The Prevention and Public Health Fund is Under Attack

By Peter Kyriacopoulos, Senior Director of Public Policy, APHL

Yesterday I attended a meeting of the lead Congressional staff on health reform who detailed a serious threat to the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – the federal health reform law.

This attack on the fund will come on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 from Senator Mike Johanns who wants to divert the public health fund to pay for continuing to allow small businesses to not accurately report their expenses and income to the Internal Revenue Service. The diversion from the fund would cover the lost federal tax revenue that would result from the accurate reporting currently required by law. Unrelated to any tax reporting issue, Senator Johanns’ amendment also reduces by 2 million the number of people covered by health insurance - which will likely raise premiums for all Americans.

It is wrong to pit the health of Americans and small businesses against each other when there are other ways to cover the cost of reporting business transactions. Senator Johanns’ amendment is bad for the Prevention and Public Health fund – and it would be bad for all Americans who need health coverage or pay for coverage. Senator Bill Nelson from Florida has an alternative that gives reporting relief to small business without attacking prevention fund – so that the fund can do its job and produce improvements in the health of Americans.

Now is the time for the public health community to strongly voice its opposition to the amendment that has been introduced by Senator Johanns.