President Bush's budget weakens health enterprise of the nation; Proposals don't serve interests of American people, says the Association of Academic Health Centers

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "The President's budget weakens the health enterprise of the nation on many levels," says Steven A. Wartman, M.D., Ph.D., president of the Association of Academic Health Centers. "While hard choices are certainly in order, it is clear that expanded access to care, health professions education, biomedical research, and patient care services are pillars of the nation's health and well-being. Cuts in funding to the agencies and programs-from the National Institutes of Health to Medicare and Medicaid-that ensure the nation's preeminence in all aspects of health are not in the short-term or long-term interests of the American people," adds Dr. Wartman.

"This budget presents untenable choices," says Wartman, pointing particularly to the freeze on funding for the National Institutes of Health, and greatly reduced funding for programs in the Health Resources and Services Administration. The impact of the budget cuts to these agencies is profound. The cuts will reduce the nation's ability to maintain cutting edge research on treatments and cures for many diseases, eliminate needed funding for health professions education other than nursing, limit access to care for the medically underserved, decrease funding for graduate medical education programs in children's hospitals, and adversely impact health care in rural America.

These cuts, when considered in light of the other proposed cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, have the AAHC greatly concerned that there will be erosion of both access and quality in the nation's health care. "These proposed reductions are not in the best interests of all who depend on an effective health care delivery system. Quality health care depends on a well educated workforce, effective services, and accessible care-all guided by leading research. The Association of Academic Health Centers will work to promote these priorities in the allocation of public funds for our nation's health care system," says Wartman.

The Association of Academic Health Centers is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of the people by advancing the leadership of academic health centers in health professions education, biomedical and health services research, and health care delivery.