Secretary of Health Urges U.S. Legislators to Consider How Repealing ACA Could Eliminate Critical Health Funding for the Commonwealth

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy is urging the commonwealth's U.S. Congressional delegation to consider the effect that repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have on all Pennsylvanians, especially children and seniors in need.

Pennsylvania's health departments at the state and local level could lose $111,991,355 over the next five years if the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), which is part of ACA, is repealed, according to the Trust for America's Health.

"Repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund would resonate beyond the federal level and hit state and local health departments hard," said Secretary Murphy. "Our job is to ensure the health and safety of all our citizens, but especially to protect our most vulnerable populations including children, seniors, and low-income Pennsylvanians. The loss of this funding in the coming years arrives at a time when major health threats, like infectious diseases and the opioid epidemic, are on the rise. The PPHF is vital to help protect the health of the nearly 13 million people who call Pennsylvania home."

According to the Trust for America's Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stands to lose 12 percent of its annual budget if the PPHF is repealed. This would result in diminished support for public health efforts in every state, with more people becoming sick and health care costs increasing.

Pennsylvania has received more than $83.1 million through the PPHF since its creation in 2010. The PPHF is the first federal funding source dedicated to public health and prevention.

Some of the investments supported by the PPHF in Pennsylvania include:

• Monitoring of opioid prescribing;
• Vaccines for children and adults;
• Breast and cervical cancer screenings for eligible, underserved women;
• Preventing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity by addressing common risk factors;
• Epidemiology and laboratory capacity grants to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks, including influenza and foodborne illnesses; and
• Reducing the leading causes of disease, disability, and death through environmental and system approaches.

Visit www.health.pa.gov to learn more about the Department of Health's programs.

MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson, 717-787-1783

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us