The National Institutes of Health would see an almost 10% increase in funding under a budget deal announced Dec. 15 by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.).
Other provisions in the omnibus budget agreement include an increased budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, level budgets for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and a reduced budget for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Alicia Ault/Frontline Medical News
The bill also prevents any new or additional spending on the Affordable Care Act.
The National Institutes of Health will see its budget increase to $32 billion, $2 billion more than the fiscal 2015 budget and $1 billion more than the White House had requested. The increases are targeted to a number of specific research areas, including Alzheimer’s disease, the BRAIN Initiative, antibiotics research, as well as for the Precision Medicine Initiative. The NIH increase also reflects increased budget levels for all individual institutes and centers.
CDC’s budget is increased by about $308 million – almost double the White House–requested increase – to $7.2 billion. The proposal prioritizes funding on disease prevention and biodefense research to prevent against infectious diseases as well as bioterrorism attacks, and helping the agency modernize laboratory facilities and work with states to address antibiotic resistance.
It also includes $70 million to target prescription drug abuse, $160 million for the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, $170 million to help address preventable chronic diseases, $160 million in block grants for states to address their individual health needs, and $1.4 billion in budgeting for states to use for emergency preparedness for bioterror attacks or pandemic disease emergencies.
The budget proprosal also cuts more than $30 million from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The White House had asked for funding of the AHRQ to remain static.
Both the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology saw their budgets remain level; however, the bill makes no changes to the Meaningful Use program.
As part of Congress’ ongoing oversight into prescription drug pricing, the budget bill is calling for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to prepare a report examining the prices.
According to a committee report accompanying the bill language, HHS will prepare a report on prices, net of rebate, of the top 10 most commonly prescribed drugs and the top 10 highest-cost drugs paid under Medicare Part B and Part D, Medicaid, and by the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2003. The report, due 180 days after the enactment of the bill, would also evaluate access to drugs under the four programs as well as patient satisfaction with care.
The House is expected to vote on the budget proposal as early as Dec. 18.