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Grassroots Support Helped Avoid Cuts to Prevention Fund
The 13th hour “fiscal cliff” deal agreed to by Congress and the Obama administration was a victory for prevention advocates—at least for the moment. Thanks to the hard work of people across the country, the Prevention and Public Health Fund was spared any cuts. To those of you who joined our efforts and sent letters to members and leaders of Congress and the White House, we thank you for your support.
The Prevention Fund, the most significant effort ever made by the federal government to help communities around the country combat disease and reduce healthcare costs, has been under threat almost since the day it was passed.
Last year, Congress cut $6.25 billion from the Prevention Fund to avoid programmed cuts to the fees of doctors who treat Medicare patients—the so-called “doctor’s fix.” This time around, a 27 percent cut to doctor’s pay was slated to go into effect in January and some members of Congress wanted to stop it by raiding the Fund again. Instead, the final fiscal cliff agreement maintained doctors’ pay levels for another year without cutting the Prevention Fund.
We and other prevention advocates worked hard to protect the Fund and to make the case for maintaining its important mission. For the moment, we have prevailed, but it’s a battle we may have to fight again in just a couple of months. Thanks for your support, now and in the future.
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