Proposed cuts to education, research draw fire: federal budget outlook 2005.(Practice Trends)

Publication: Skin & Allergy News

Publication Date: 01-APR-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 International Medical News Group

WASHINGTON -- The president's fiscal year 2005 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services once again threatens to weaken key health professions' education programs and important clinical research, medical groups claim.

The proposed budget for HHS totals $580 billion in outlays, an increase of $32 billion over the 2004 budget. The department's discretionary budgetary authority is $67 billion, an increase of $819 million or 1.2% over fiscal year 2004, and an increase of 26% since 2001.

The Association of American Medical Colleges said in a statement that it is pleased by President Bush's commitment to medical liability reform and additional health coverage for the uninsured, but the fiscal year 2005 budget request recommends only minimal increases, or in some cases major cuts to important federal initiatives.

One of those programs is health professions funding under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act, which invariably finds itself on the chopping block each year, as a new budget request is released.

The programs, which...

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