House subcommittees hold hearings on FY 2016 HHS budget

At a subcommittee hearing yesterday on the president’s fiscal year 2016 budget request for Department of Health and Human Services programs, Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) told HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell that the president's proposal to reduce payment to critical access hospitals from 101% to 100% of reasonable costs and eliminate the CAH designation for hospitals located fewer than 10 miles from the nearest hospital would have “a very detrimental impact on these health care facilities and the people who depend on their services.” He noted, “These hospitals provide care in areas with very limited health care access. Many rural people depend on the 24-hour emergency services offered by these facilities.” With respect to Ebola funding for hospitals, Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) said, “Local hospitals and doctors are on the frontline during health emergencies, and Congress provided additional emergency funding for the hospital preparedness program in FY 2015, but hospitals in my community tell me that the funds they have received from the program in previous years are inadequate.” Burwell also testified today at a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on the budget request.