Next week, over 300 MS Activists will head to the nation's capitol for the 22nd annual Public Policy Conference. By midnight today, across the board spending cuts mandated by congress (otherwise known as the sequester) will begin. Federal and state agencies will cut $85 billion in spending for the remaining months of this fiscal year.While these cuts are 'across the board,' it is important to understand that these cuts probably won't be equal in all spending areas. While Medicaid is exempt from these cuts, most other health programs will be affected. The sequester includes a 2% cut to Medicare, as well as much larger cuts to federal healthcare agencies.
It is more important than ever to keep the MS Activist voice in the mix so that our elected officials recognize the importance of key MS priorities.
Below you will find a summary of the potential impact based on several news reports:
- Medical Research Jobs: United for Medical Research estimates that up to 20,000 research jobs could be impacted, or lost due to a $2.5 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health.
- NIH Research Grants: The NIH has predicted that nearly 2,000 ongoing or proposed research projects may lose funding.
- Health Care Workers: The 2% cut to Medicare would result in the loss of over 200,00 health care jobs in 2013 alone, with 300,000 additional losses in subsequent years.
To read more about the sequester's impact on healthcare, read this article by The Hill.
