Midwestern and southern states received less funding from the federal government than northeastern and western states did in FY 2008 for disease prevention programs, which can amount to millions of dollars in differences, according to a new report from Trust for America’s Health sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Shortchanging America’s Health: A State-By-State Look at How Federal Public Health Dollars Are Spent also examines how the economic downturn could lead to serious cuts to disease prevention and emergency preparedness programs at the state level.
The report found that states receive $17.60 per person on average from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to spend on public health. Midwestern states received an average of $17.69 per person and southern states received $18.43 per person, while northeastern states received $22.49 and western states received $23.94 per person from the CDC. Alaska received the most funding from CDC of any state at $52.78 per person in FY 2008, while Indiana received the least at $12.74--a $40 difference.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), at least 46 states are facing shortfalls to their 2009 and/or 2010 budgets. CBPP estimates that combined budget gaps for states in the remainder of 2009, 2010, and 2011 could total more than $350 billion. Some health programs at risk for cuts include chronic and infectious disease prevention programs, food and water safety, environmental health improvement, and bioterrorism and health emergency preparedness.
Read the report.
