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 Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Friday Notes
Friday Notes is intended to share current information, resources and notices.
If you have information or announcements that you would like to have included in the next issue, forward them to MCMCH.
April 15, 2011
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STATE BUDGET UPDATE
House, Senate DCH Budget Bills Have Deep Cuts
The Senate and House Department of Community Health Appropriations subcommittees reported budget bills this week revealing painful cuts. Both subcommittees went well beyond the Governor's recommended reductions to the health budget with the Senate slashing an additional $60 million and the House subcommittee cutting an additional $25 million. More cuts were necessitated by the agreement between Goveror Rick Snyder, House Speaker Jase Bolger and Majority Leader Randy Richardville earlier in the week that would "tier" the pension tax. The move means the pension tax, if passed, would bring in less revenue than was originally proposed by the Governor and thus additional budget cuts must make up the difference.
The Senate subcommittee met Wednesday to report their version of the DCH budget on a party-line vote. Most notably for MCMCH members, it includes the complete elimination of the Healthy Michigan fund and all Graduate Medical Education funding along with additional cuts to Community Mental Health non-Medicaid funding. The bill relies on the passage of the 1% Health Claims Tax and the end of the Medicaid HMO Use Tax. The Senate has retained the traditional line item detail, rejecting the Governor's proposal to roll-up individual line items.
The House subcommittee also reported their version on Thursday: reducing the Healthy Michigan Fund by $10.3 million in general fund dollars, retaining only funding for one project. The House increases the proposed reductions to local public health essential services from a 5% cut to a 10% cut. Placeholders for funding infant mortality programs and nurse family partnership programs were inserted (no funding). The House did not make any additional proposed cuts to Graduate Medical Education but did concurs in Governor recommended 40% cut. The bill does assume implementation of the 1% Health Claims Tax and also assumes availability of $100 mill in federal funds to increase Medicaid rates to primary care physicians.
Both bills are now pending before their respective full Appropriations Committee, with action anticipated later this month. It's unclear right now which bill will emerge as the ultimate vehicle for the DCH budget and advance into conference committee. It is also unclear what impact the May revenue estimating conference may have. As always, we will keep you informed as more information is available.
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Federal News: House Votes to Defund Public Health and Prevention Fund The U.S. House on April 13 passed legislation (H.R. 1217) by a 236-183 vote that would defund an $18 billion public health and prevention fund included in the health reform law.
After passing a full repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act earlier this year, Republicans have targeted the law in piecemeal sections, including provisions funded by mandatory appropriations, such as the public health and prevention fund.
Republicans have argued that while public health and prevention are worthy goals, Congress should not relinquish its authority to oversee spending. The secretary of the Health and Human Services Department has the authority to dispense the funding included in the public health and prevention fund, which was appropriated a total of $17.75 billion for fiscal years 2012-2021.
However, Democrats said Republicans are abandoning a long-standing bipartisan commitment to public health and prevention in a back-door effort to dismantle the health reform law.
H.R. 1217 also would require HHS to rescind any unobligated funds. The House approved by voice vote an amendment to the bill that would require HHS to post on its website a notice on the rescission of unobligated funds as well as the amount rescinded.
In an April 13 statement of administration policy, the White House said that H.R. 1217 "could worsen the Nation's health and increase system costs by defunding prevention activities such as programs that promote physical activity, reduce the burden of chronic disease, and prevent smoking and
other tobacco use." The statement added, "If the President is presented with legislation that would eliminate funding [for] or repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto it."
The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved the bill March 31, and the full committee did so April 5 (66 HCDR, 4/6/11). The legislation is not expected to clear the Senate. ____________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Obesity, Disparities in Care Help Drive U.S. Stillbirths: Studies
HealthDay
While the rate of stillbirths in the United States has dropped over the past few decades, this tragic outcome is still a reality for far too many couples, experts say.
As part of a series of studies published online April 14 in The Lancet, researchers report that a leading cause of stillbirth in the United States may be obesity, which can raise the risk for fetal loss.
Obese women are more likely to have diabetes and hypertension, and "these are two of the major causes of stillbirth," noted the lead author of one paper, Dr. Robert L. Goldenberg, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. "But for reasons that are not clear, above diabetes, above hypertension, obese women are still more likely to have a stillbirth [than thinner women]."
Limits on women's access to good obstetric care -- most notably for poor or minority mothers-to-be -- is another major contributing factor. "My estimate is that if all women had access to very good care, a third to half of the stillbirths in the U.S. could be eliminated," Goldenberg said.
The definition of stillbirth varies country to country. In the United States, it's typically defined as fetal loss at 20 weeks or more of gestation, while the World Health Organization defines it as fetal death at 28 weeks or later.
Stillbirths are even more prevalent in less affluent countries. In fact, worldwide the problem accounts for more than 2.6 million fetal deaths each year. Ninety-eight percent occur in low-income countries, but wealthier countries, including the United States, also experience many stillbirths each year, researchers say.
"Stillbirth does not receive the focus it deserves, because it is a major pregnancy outcome that has been neglected," said Goldenberg. "In the United States there are about 27,000 stillbirths every year," he added. "It's as common a bad outcome as infant mortality, and it's way more common than babies infected with AIDS."
You can read the full HealthDay article here and access The Lancet's series here.
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Registration for May 5 MCMCH General Membership Meeting Now Open
You can now register for our May 5 Quarterly Meeting on the National Children's Study. This is a general membership meeting of the Council designed to bring timely information to members and help set future policy for the Council. Register here.
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Contributors to this Issue
AHIP HI-Wire
HealthDay
National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions
Wiener Associates
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Quick Links . . .
Save the Date: Michigan Oral Health Conference, June 9-10 The Michigan Oral Health Coalition's premier education event promises a variety of education sessions, expert speakers and networking. The conference will be held June 9-10 at the Lexington Hotel in Lansing. Visit www.mohc.org for more information.
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Save the Date: Moving Toward Solutions Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference, August 18-19
The fourth annual Moving Toward Solutions Conference will provide educators, providers and community stakeholders with practical strategies for day-to-day implementation and highlight programs that prevent adolescent pregnancy. The conference will be held August 18-19 at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City. Learn more here.
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Use of Dietary Supplements Keeps Climbing: CDC
More than half of U.S. adults take dietary supplements, such as multivitamins and calcium, and their use jumped dramatically over a recent 20-year period, according to a new government report.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Youth Football Injuries on the Rise, Study Finds
New data shows that youth football injuries are on the rise. The annual number of football injuries among players aged 6 to 17 who were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments rose 27 percent over 18 years, from 274,094 in 1990 to 346,772 in 2007, the report finds. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Abusive Head Trauma in Infants Doubled During Recession: Study
Recession-related stress may have triggered an alarming increase in non-accidental head injuries among infants, new research suggests.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Fish Oil Promising Against Postpartum Depression in Small Trial
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules during pregnancy may reduce a woman's risk of postpartum depression, according to a new study. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Order your 2011-12 Watch Me Grow Calendars! This 24-month calendar highlights a different program each month - offering both program information and contact information. Activities and tips for parents are also offered throughout the calendar providing information on health, safety, nutrition, and parenting. The best part is that these calendars are $1 each. Visit the website for complete information and order form. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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The Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health is made up of
member organizations who share a commitment to the health of
Michigan's women, children and families.
To learn more go to http://www.mcmch.org or email info@mcmch.org.
Amy Zaagman - Executive Director - azaagman@mcmch.org
Jennifer Gorchow - Communications Manager - jgorchow@mcmch.org
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