Trump Administration Announces New Action Plans to Improve Access to Healthcare across the United States of America
The White House has announced a possible noteworthy reduction in funding to the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020; however, there are plans to boost up the investments in HIV research, the opioid epidemic and other policy priorities.
Monday morning President Donald Trump released the “Budget for a Better America” which proposes $87.1 billion in funding for HHS, which in turn is a 12% decrease from 2019.
This budget has been submitted to Congress, the final decision makers for the funding levels for 2020. However, Congress on the other hand has all the rights to disagree with the President’s proposed budget.
An HIV Funding Amplifier
The budget proposes $291 million for the Ending HIV Epidemic in 2020, which Trump’s strategic plan to introduce an extensive HIV initiative.
The entire objective of this initiative is the reduction in new HIV infections by 75% within the next five years and by 90% in the next decade. Almost half of this funding ($140 million) is reserved for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who will help support this very initiative. Additionally, this plan allocates $120 million to the Health Resources and Services Administration to extend treatment access at federal health centers.
Employment of Nationwide Medicaid Population
The budget offers Medicaid eligibility for the healthy cohort to be bound to employment.
The proposal says, “This would enhance service coordination for program participants, improve the financial well-being of those receiving assistance, and ensure federally funded public assistance programs are reserved for the most vulnerable populations.”
Magnifier for Drug Prices in Part B, Part D
The White House, through this budget, recommends in pushing the beneficiaries to opt for cheaper alternatives instead of pricey, brand-name medications. It also suggests an out-of-pocket spending cap in Part D.
The budget aims at the 340B drug discount program, which faces criticism. It is believed and said that hospitals in this program crack the speciality practices in order to gain benefit of the discounts. Trump recommended decreasing payments to hospitals participating in 340B that offer narrow charity care to benefit hospitals that make extra efforts in providing charity care.
Moreover, Trump administration hopes of cost cutting as the budget proposes in moving coverage of certain drugs from Part B to Part D.
The Trump administration has, like in 2019, again proposed the Graham-Cassidy proposal. In the 2020 budget, several health reforms are unexpected on a bill crafted after Graham-Cassidy to void the Affordable Care Act.
For stability of the program over the coming years, the budget proposes a Medicaid block grant and per capita caps beginning in 2021
For patients with pre-existing medical conditions, the budget proposes the necessity for states to grant at least 10% to maintain protections for high-cost Medicaid beneficiaries.
A Big Gamble on Health Savings Accounts
The proposal, furthermore, states that plans with a value of up to 70% of healthcare costs come with an HSA, which includes Medicare plans, which would allow the beneficiaries to avail the advantages of HSAs with a good ratio of ingenious plan designs.
Additionally, the budget asks for a little contribution by the people registered in subsidized ACA plans into their healthcare coverage to augment customer involvement.
