New Template for = MPHA

Call to Action: FY08 = DPH=20 = Budget

Dear MPHA = members,

Last Friday, = I met with=20 MDPH Commissioner Paul Cote to talk about public = health=20 budget priorities for the coming year. The=20 Department of Public Health is already preparing = FY08=20 recommendations for the Executive Office of=20 Administration and Finance (EOAF), as the Romney = administration works on its final state = budget.

I am writing = to advise=20 that if you want to make specific requests to = DPH,=20 now is the time to do = so. Commissioner=20 Cote said that he could consider recommendations = no=20 later than September 6.

It is not = clear what=20 =93cap=94 EOAF will set on the Department of = Public Health=20 budget for FY08. The Commissioner hopes = that it=20 will be possible to include most, if not all, of = the=20 supplemental funding that DPH received for FY07 = in the=20 FY08 base request. That possibility is = uncertain at=20 best.

The DPH = budget for FY07=20 stands now at $513.56 million, compared to = $434.69=20 million in FY06. The increase of $78.88 = million (18=20 percent) is comprised of the following:

$38.7 = million increase=20 in the legislature=92s base appropriations for = DPH=20
$14.5 = million in=20 supplementary public health expenditures that = were=20 included in last April=92s health care reform = (Chap. 58)=20
$25.6 = million in=20 additional supplementary expenditures approved = in=20 June, 2006 (including $20.1 million for = substance=20 abuse services).

In other = words,=20 over half ($40.1 million) of the = increase in=20 this year=92s budget for DPH is from = supplemental=20 appropriations that were made in FY06 to be = spent in=20 FY07.

Our view at = the=20 Massachusetts Public Health Association is that = the=20 top budget advocacy challenge for the coming = year is=20 to ensure that these supplemental funds are = included in=20 the FY08 base funding for = DPH. Otherwise, a=20 number of critical programs that have received = much=20 needed, if only partial, restorations for the = coming=20 year may face another round of de facto = crippling cuts.

Tobacco = control=20 funding, for instance, is being nearly doubled = in FY07=20 with $4 million in supplemental=20 appropriations. Other programs receiving = major=20 supplementary boosts, in addition to substance = abuse=20 services, include breast cancer, prostate = cancer,=20 colorectal cancer, hepatitis C, AIDS, teen = pregnancy,=20 suicide, diabetes, dental health, and = more.

Advocates = deserve to be=20 proud about the gains made in public health = funding for=20 the coming year. We received tremendous = support=20 from the legislature, which overrode every = single public=20 health budget veto made by the = governor. While the=20 ink may just be dry on the FY07 budget, we must = already=20 turn our attention to FY08.

The outcome = of the=20 coming election in November is far from = certain. It=20 would be a mistake to dismiss the importance of = current=20 budget making at DPH. Please take advantage = now of=20 the opportunity to make your case to = Commissioner Cote=20 about FY08 budget priorities. Thank = you.

Geoff = Wilkinson,=20 Executive Director

Massachusetts = Public=20 Health=20 = Association