House committee passes HHS appropriations bill

The House Appropriations Committee today voted 33-25 to approve legislation that would provide $253.8 billion in funding for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal year 2022, a 28% increase over the prior fiscal year.

According to a committee summary, the bill would provide $119.8 billion for HHS, $22.9 billion more than the FY 2021 enacted level, but slightly below the president’s request. Specific increases over FY 2021 include: $6.5 billion more for the National Institutes of Health, including $330 million more for health disparities research and $100 million more for strengthened cybersecurity; $671 million more for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, including an $8.5 million increase for the Hospital Preparedness Program; $3.14 billion more for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; $2.7 billion more for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including $50 million more for public health workforce initiatives and $150 million more for social determinants of health; $1.6 billion more for the Health Resources and Services Administration; and $646 million more for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program would receive $400 million in funding and rural health programs would receive $400 million, including increases for rural hospitals. The legislation also includes $868.7 million for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, $156 million more than the previous fiscal year. In addition, the committee matched the president’s request of $153 million for CDC’s Social Determinants of Health program; a portion of that funding will continue to go toward Social Determinants Accelerator Grants. 

The full House is expected to consider the bill later this month.