June 2015

This week, the ATS sent letters to all U.S. House Representatives urging them to protect public health funding through the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). The PPHF, authorized under the ACA, provides funding for state public health and disease prevention programs and as such is a key source of funding for state tobacco cessation and education programs.

The House is set to vote early next week on legislation that would repeal the Independent Medicare Payment Advisory Board (IMPAB), H.R. 1190, and the bill would use the PPHF as a pay-for mechanism, which would result in a 50% cut to the PPHF. The measure cutting the PPHF was added to H.R. 1190 by the House Rules Committee during consideration of the rules of debate on the bill. During House floor debate on the bill, the original Democratic sponsor of H.R. 1190, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), announced that she would vote against her own bill rather than cut the PPHF.