For the vast majority of the federal government\u2019s public health efforts, though, it\u2019s business as usual.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because Congress has already passed five of its major appropriations bills, funding about three-fourths of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs.<\/p>\n
But seven bills<\/a> are outstanding \u2014 including those that fund the Interior, Agriculture and Justice departments \u2014 and that puts the squeeze on some important health-related initiatives.<\/p>\n The shutdown itself is not about health policies. It\u2019s the result of differences of opinion between the administration and congressional Democrats regarding Trump\u2019s so-called border wall. But it\u2019s far-reaching, nonetheless. Here\u2019s where things stand:<\/p>\n Funding for \u201cbig-ticket\u201d health programs is already in place, alleviating much of the shutdown\u2019s immediate potential impact.<\/p>\n Since HHS funding is set through September, the flagship government health care programs \u2014 think Obamacare, Medicare and Medicaid \u2014 are insulated.<\/p>\n That\u2019s also true of public health surveillance, like tracking the flu virus, a responsibility of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Institutes of Health, which oversees major biomedical research, is also fine. It\u2019s a stark contrast to last January\u2019s shutdown<\/a>, which sent home about half of HHS\u2019 staff.<\/p>\n But some other public health operations are vulnerable because of complicated funding streams.<\/p>\n Although the Food and Drug Administration falls under the HHS umbrella, it receives significant funding for its food safety operations through the spending bill for the Department of Agriculture, which is entirely caught up in the shutdown.<\/p>\n Last year, that tallied an estimated $2.9 billion<\/a>\u00a0to support among other things these FDA oversight efforts, which involve everything from food recalls to routine facility inspections and cosmetics regulation. Not having those dollars now means, according to the FDA contingency plan<\/a>, that about 40 percent of the agency \u2014 thousands of government workers \u2014 is furloughed.<\/p>\n The FDA\u2019s responsibilities for drug approval and oversight are funded by user fees and are generally not affected. Regulation of tobacco products is also continuing.<\/p>\n Health services for Native Americans are also on hold.<\/p>\n Because\u00a0Congress has yet to approve funding for the Indian Health Service, which is run by HHS but gets its money through the Department of\u00a0the\u00a0Interior,\u00a0IHS\u00a0feels the full weight of the shutdown. The only services that can continue are those that meet \u201cimmediate needs of the patients, medical staff,\u00a0and medical facilities,\u201d according to the shutdown contingency plan.<\/p>\n That includes IHS-run clinics, which provide direct health care to tribes around the country<\/a>. These facilities are open, and many staffers are reporting to work because they are deemed \u201cexcepted,\u201d said Jennifer Buschik, an agency spokeswoman. But they will not be paid until Congress and the administration reach a deal.<\/p>\n Other IHS programs are taking a more direct hit. For example, the agency has suspended grants that support tribal health programs, as well as preventive health clinics run by the Office of Urban Indian Health Programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Public health efforts by Homeland Security and the EPA face serious constraints.<\/p>\n The Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Office of Health Affairs assesses threats posed by infectious diseases, pandemics and biological and chemical attacks. It is supposed to be scaling back, according to the department\u2019s shutdown contingency plan<\/a>. This office is just one component of the 204-person Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, which is retaining about 65 employees during the funding gap.<\/p>\n Other DHS health workers are likely to work without pay \u2014 for instance, health inspectors at the border, said Peter Boogaard, who was an agency spokesman under the Obama administration. According to DHS\u2019 plan<\/a>, the vast majority of border patrol employees will continue working through the shutdown.<\/p>\n The Environmental Protection Agency has also run out of funding<\/a>. According to its contingency plan<\/a>, it\u2019s keeping on more than 700 employees without pay, including those who work on Superfund sites or other activities where the \u201cthreat to life or property is imminent.\u201d (More than 13,000 EPA workers have been furloughed.)<\/p>\n That limits the agency\u2019s capacity for activities including inspecting water that people drink and regulating pesticides.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just regulation. The public health stakes are visceral \u2014 and sometimes, frankly, pretty gross.<\/p>\n Just look at the National Park Service<\/a>, which has halted restroom maintenance and trash service for lack of funding. On Sunday, Yosemite National Park in California closed its campgrounds. On Wednesday, Joshua Tree National Park, also in California, did the same.<\/p>\n Why? Per a park service press release<\/a>: \u201cThe park is being forced to take this action for health and safety concerns as vault toilets reach capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The post How The Government Shutdown Is Affecting Health Programs<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad Gay News<\/a>.<\/p>\n