Bush budget disastrous for health care, groups say

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health experts denounced President George W. Bush's 2009 federal budget request on Monday, calling it a disaster for the health of Americans and saying they would look to Congress to change it.

Bush's $3.1 trillion spending plan proposes a 7 percent cut in funds for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as less money for Medicare and Medicaid -- the joint federal-state health insurance programs for the poor and elderly.

The budget for the fiscal year starting October 1, 2009 would reduce spending on Medicare by $12.8 billion and lower federal funds for Medicaid by $18.2 billion over five years.

The National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration would receive more funds, but critics said the increases were too small to counteract rising costs.

"We are deeply troubled that funding for heart and stroke research at the National Institutes of Health is below medical research inflation for the sixth year in a row," said Dr. Daniel Jones, president of the American Heart Association.

"At a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing, we should be investing more to keep Americans healthy instead of cutting funds for disease prevention," added Jeff Levi, executive director of the nonprofit Trust for America's Health.

Groups representing for-profit interests also complained.

"Today's budget blueprint would have a disastrous impact on the health care that millions of patients and families depend on," said Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.