To
some,
President
Donald
Trump’s
budget
proposal
might
be
adding
an
insult
to
an
injury.
Last
year,
the
federal
government
made
significant
cuts
to
healthcare
coverage
in
Medicaid
via
the
One
Big
Beautiful
Bill
Act
(H.R.
1).
Now,
Trump
is
proposing
even
steeper
cuts
to
the
healthcare
system
in
his
fiscal
year
2027
budget
proposal,
leading
to
outrage
among
healthcare
policy
experts.
“On
the
heels
of
the
massive
and
historic
cuts
in
H.R.
1,
President
Trump
is
doubling
down
on
severe
cuts
to
health
care.
…
It’s
a
significant
assault
on
our
health,
both
keeping
folks
healthy
and
the
services
they
get
when
they
get
sick,”
said
Anthony
Wright,
executive
director
of
Families
USA,
in
an
interview.
Families
USA
is
a
patient
advocacy
organization.
Overall,
the
budget
requests
$111.1
billion
for
the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
a
$15.8
billion
or
12.5%
decrease
from
2026.
Trump’s
budget
proposal
includes:
-
A
$5
billion
cut
to
the
National
Institutes
of
Health,
as
well
as
an
elimination
of
the
National
Institute
on
Minority
Health
and
Health
Disparities,
which
leads
scientific
research
to
improve
minority
health -
$5
billion
in
cuts
to
Substance
Abuse
and
Mental
Health
Services
Administration
(SAMHSA),
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
(CDC),
Health
Resources
and
Services
Administration
(HRSA)
and
Office
of
the
Assistant
Secretary
for
Health
(OASH)
programs -
$356
million
cut
to
the
Agency
for
Strategic
Preparedness
and
Response,
which
helps
hospitals
prepare
for
pandemics -
$129
million
cut
to
the
Agency
for
Healthcare
Research
and
Quality,
which
is
focused
on
improving
health
outcomes
and
patient
safety
There
are
“modest”
investments
in
areas
like
nutrition,
but
they
are
small
compared
to
the
scale
of
cuts
in
the
proposal,
according
to
Wright.
For
example,
it
suggests
investing
$19
million
to
expand
access
to
nutrition
services
at
health
centers,
as
well
as
$57
million
to
strengthen
national
nutritional
and
food
safety
by
removing
unsafe
chemicals
in
the
food
supply.
The
reactions
from
several
health
leaders
outlined
below
highlight
concerns
about
the
potential
impact
on
employers,
veterans,
patients
with
infectious
diseases
and
mental
health
conditions,
and
the
future
of
medical
research.
One
executive
at
the
Legal
Action
Center
(LAC)
said
that
the
potential
negative
impact
of
the
budget
proposal
is
significant,
especially
when
combined
with
other
actions
by
this
administration,
such
as
the
Medicaid
cuts.
“The
President’s
proposed
2027
budget
and
its
cuts
to
SAMHSA,
alongside
the
looming
cuts
to
Medicaid
enacted
by
last
year’s
federal
reconciliation
bill,
threaten
to
destabilize
the
national
system
that
supports
lifesaving
treatment
and
harm
reduction
services
proven
to
reduce
fatal
overdose,
support
long-term
recovery,
and
reduce
the
spread
of
infectious
disease,”
said
Teresa
Miller,
LAC’s
national
director
of
health
initiatives.
Another
leader
from
an
employer
advocacy
organization
echoed
these
comments,
stating
that
the
budget
raises
serious
concerns
about
the
future
of
healthcare
programs.
“As
a
veteran,
I
know
firsthand
how
critical
these
benefits
are
—
and
any
significant
cuts
to
federal
health
research
and
health
programs
would
have
real,
lasting
consequences
for
patients,
employers
and
the
broader
workforce,”
said
Jenny
Goins,
chief
of
staff
of
the
National
Alliance
of
Healthcare
Purchasers
Coalition.
“Employers
cannot
absorb
additional
strain
on
an
already
challenged
healthcare
system—these
decisions
must
prioritize
both
patient
care
and
workforce
stability.”
The
American
Cancer
Society
Cancer
Action
Network
(ACS
CAN)
is
particularly
concerned
about
how
the
proposed
cuts
to
the
NIH
would
harm
cancer
research.
“Less
resources
have
a
far-reaching
impact
on
our
nationwide
biomedical
research
eco-system
by
slowing
breakthroughs,
reducing
grants
and
stalling
progress
against
rising
cancer
cases,”
said
Lisa
Lacasse,
president
of
ACS
CAN.
Lacasse
added
that
keeping
National
Cancer
Institute
funding
level
doesn’t
match
medical
inflation
and
could
delay
progress
in
prevention,
early
detection
and
treatment.
What’s
ahead
Just
because
the
budget
is
proposed,
doesn’t
mean
Congress
will
necessarily
ratify
it
as
proposed.
The
president’s
budget
proposal
is
a
recommendation
to
Congress
that
outlines
the
administration’s
priorities.
The
House
and
Senate
will
create
their
own
budget
resolutions,
which
they
reconcile
into
a
single
framework,
and
pass
funding
bills
that
must
be
approved
by
both
chambers.
Congress
then
sends
those
bills
to
the
president
to
sign
or
veto.
Several
advocacy
organizations
are
calling
on
Congress
to
reject
Trump’s
proposal.
He
proposed
a
similar
one
last
year,
which
was
not
adopted
by
Congress.
“Congress
demonstrated
an
unwavering
commitment
to
the
fight
against
cancer
by
working
together
across
party
lines
to
approve
a
budget
for
FY26
that
invested
in
hope,
science
and
saving
lives,”
Lacasse
of
ACS
CAN
said.
However,
there
is
also
the
budget
reconciliation
process,
which
is
a
fast-track
way
for
Congress
to
pass
major
budget-related
changes.
It
can
be
passed
on
partisan
lines
with
only
51
votes
instead
of
the
usual
60.
This
process
has
been
used
in
the
past
to
enact
significant
healthcare
policy
changes,
including
changes
to
Medicaid.
“I
hope
that
a
bipartisan
budget
that
is
passed
does
not
include
these
cuts
but
I
am
very
concerned
about
what
a
budget
reconciliation
package
that
is
only
passed
on
partisan
lines
would
include,”
Wright
of
Families
USA
said.
“They
made
the
biggest
cuts
in
the
history
of
Medicaid
last
year
under
budget
reconciliation,
passed
on
partisan
lines.
There
are
many
in
party
leadership
who
have
said
that
they
want
to
make
additional
cuts
to
healthcare.
I
think
that’s
of
great
concern
and
alarm.”
Photo:
TimAbramowitz,
Getty
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