SACRAMENTO, California — President Donald Trump’s push to abolish federal disaster preparedness programs threatens funding for state health systems from Republican-led Texas to Democratic stronghold California.
that hospital readiness program It was created more than 20 years ago in response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in New York on September 11, 2001, and the deadly anthrax attacks that began a few days later. The fund provided approximately $2.2 billion. States, territories, major cities and other entities We’ve spent the last 17 years preparing our healthcare system for the next pandemic, cyberattack, or mass casualty event.
Recently, the money was used to fight bird flu. At least 70 people infected Killed at least one person in the U.S. remains a threat. These funds have also been used to respond to crises such as hurricanes, tornadoes, mass shootings, floods, and heat waves.
however budget request A report to Congress from Trump’s budget director, Russell Vought, proposes eliminating the program, calling the effort “wasteful and unfocused” and saying cutting it would allow states and cities to “adequately” fund their own preparedness plans. All action has been halted by a government shutdown amid partisan bickering over the expiration of health subsidies, which currently affects many countries. 24 million Americans insured In the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
Red and blue states say hospital preparedness funding is essential and cannot be easily replaced by local funding. This is an example of the White House’s efforts. Reduce public health response role. Natural disasters jeopardize state and local governments’ dependence on federal resources to meet the needs of their communities.
“This program is a major source of government funding for disaster preparedness among hospitals, EMS providers and other parts of the health care system,” said Chris Van Deusen, Texas Department of State Health Services spokesman.
Texas has received more than $20 million from the Hospital Preparedness Program this year, and Van Deusen said it is unlikely the state will fill the federal funding gap in the near term because the budget is set through August 2027.
He said the funds will help health care providers in Texas develop disaster plans and test their ability to increase hospitals’ capacity during emergencies, while distributing medical resources and patient load to ensure hospitals are not overwhelmed during a disaster. This program, along with state funding, supports the state’s: Emergency Medical TFIt has responded to several emergencies, including deadly flooding this year and the Uvalde school shooting in 2022.
Georgia, which received $13.5 million this year, “continues to monitor and plan for potential changes in future federal funding while ensuring health care preparedness efforts across Georgia are robust and sustainable,” said public health spokesman Eric Jens.
California health officials say the funding is critical to ensuring local health care systems can respond to emergencies beyond their usual capabilities. The program is the only federal funding dedicated to preparing the health care system for such a disaster, said Robert Barsanti, a Department of Public Health spokesman.
“Without this funding, California risks losing critical infrastructure for emergency response and undermining our ability to protect lives, maintain continuity of care, and meet federal preparedness standards,” Barsanti said.
California, the most populous state, received the most money (nearly $29 million this year) as it struggles with a huge budget deficit and engages in a rhetorical battle with Trump administration officials. The funds will go to the state’s Department of Public Health. the California Emergency Medical Services Authority, which coordinates the state’s emergency medical services system; medical association; There are approximately 60 local entities. Los Angeles County, home to more than a quarter of the state’s population, received an additional $11 million, and the University of California system received $1.2 million.
Neither the White House, the Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration, which administers the program under the Department of Health and Human Services, or the Office of Management and Budget have responded to repeated requests for comment on the May proposal to scale back the hospital preparedness program.
Strategic Preparedness and Response The Administration has determined that: 81% reduction The New York Times reported that employee numbers have grown over the past year. This is by far the largest workforce reduction at HHS and is part of a larger decimation of federal workers under Trump.
Already, HHS has delayed distribution of hospital preparedness program funds by nearly three months this year. The funds have been available to the state since July, but most of the funds were not released until late September. Health authorities at the end of the Biden administration I wanted to distribute it quickly Funding for the national response to H5N1 avian influenza.
The months-long delay “is another example of how change and uncertainty at the federal level threaten New York’s critical public health programs,” said Cadence Acquaviva, a Department of Health spokeswoman. Despite the best efforts of health officials, “delays or interruptions in funding in the event of a disaster or emergency place New Yorkers at significant risk,” Acquaviva said.
New York State received nearly $14 million, and New York City received more than $9 million.
Jim Leach, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the health care system needs federal funding to prepare for all types of natural and man-made disasters, “regardless of the ebb and flow of a single disease.”
Illinois and Chicago received a combined $15 million through preparedness programs.
During emergencies, the state’s federally funded crisis response program “transforms hundreds of Illinois hospitals, EMS and other medical facilities into a single, coordinated system,” saving lives and taxpayer dollars, he added. “When a natural disaster or epidemic occurs, the country cannot respond quickly without HPP funding.”
