Bill Summary
The Public Health Funding Restoration Act is a bill that aims to provide full funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was created to invest in prevention and public health programs in order to improve overall health and reduce the cost of healthcare in the United States. The bill also recognizes the importance of prevention in the healthcare system and the need for sustained national investment in this area. By restoring funding to $2 billion annually, the Fund will be able to support evidence-based programs and initiatives that have been proven to be effective in preventing diseases, reducing healthcare costs, and promoting a better quality of life for Americans.
Possible Impacts
1. Individuals may have improved access to preventive healthcare services, such as screenings and vaccinations, due to increased funding for these programs.
2. Communities may see a decrease in preventable deaths and illnesses, leading to a better quality of life for residents.
3. State and local health departments may have more flexibility in responding to public health threats that are unique to their communities, thanks to the increased funding for prevention efforts.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3447 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3447
To fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the
importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 24, 2019
Ms. Matsui (for herself, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Welch,
Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Cardenas, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Ms. Blunt
Rochester, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. McNerney, Mr.
Kennedy, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Lee of California, and Mr. Lujan) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the
importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Health Funding Restoration
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Prevention and Public Health Fund (section 4002 of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-
11) was designed ``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''.
(2) Funding under such section is essential to core efforts
at the Department of Health and Human Services and in local and
State health departments to prevent and control the spread of
infectious disease, and prevent injuries and the development of
chronic conditions.
(3) Prevention and Public Health Fund dollars support
evidence-based investments in tobacco use prevention and
cessation, nutrition, mental health, childhood lead poisoning
prevention, elder care initiatives, and immunizations, among
other prevention initiatives. Funding gives States and
communities the flexibility to respond to public health threats
that may be unique to their communities.
(4) Such prevention efforts have shown to be effective.
Funding increases for community based public health programs
reduce infant deaths and preventable deaths caused by cancer,
diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Every dollar spent on
prevention saves nearly $6 in health spending and every dollar
spent on childhood vaccines saves $16.50 in future health care
costs.
(5) Investments in prevention reduce the cost of health
care in the United States. $2,900,000,000 in investments in
community-based disease prevention is estimated to save
$16,500,000,000 annually within 5 years.
(6) Cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund and other
public health prevention efforts undermine efforts to create an
affordable and accessible health care system, and a better
quality life for Americans.
(7) Restoring Prevention and Public Health Fund funding to
$2,000,000,000 annually will allow the Fund to invest in more
innovative, evidence-based public health programs and maintain
and expand investments in programs with demonstrated success.
SEC. 3. PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH FUND.
Section 4002(b) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(42 U.S.C. 300u-11(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end ``and''; and
(2) by striking paragraphs (5) through (9) and inserting
the following:
``(5) for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter,
$2,000,000,000.''.
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