2021

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RESEARCH FUNDING

House Takes First Steps in FY22 Research and Public Health Funding

This week, the House Appropriations Committee continued work on funding bills for fiscal year 2022.  The House Appropriations Committee passed the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill which provide funds for the National Institutes of Health  and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Overall, the NIH received a $6.5 billion increase, with $3.5 billion allocated to existing Institutes and Centers – providing at least a 5 percent increase for all existing Institutes and Centers. 

 

ARPA-H
The bill also provides an additional $3 billion for the creation of a new program – the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Health (ARPA-H).  According to the Biden Administration, ARPA-H is intended to accelerate research and clinical advancement by making, “pivotal investments in break-through technologies and broadly applicable platforms, capabilities, resources, and solutions that have the potential to transform important areas of medicine and health for the benefit of all patients and that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity.”  The new entity would work like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) at the Department of Defense, with focused project proposals, grant funding decided by project managers with field expertise – instead of peer review - and likely have a higher threshold for high risk/high reward projects.  NIH is hosting a series of webinars to collect public input on the ARPA-H proposal.

 

Below is a list of funding for programs of interest to ATS members:

 

  • National Institutes of Health – The bill provides a total of $49 billion for NIH, an increase of $6.5 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level.
    • NHLBI $3.86 billion
    • NIAID $6.55 billion
    • NIEHS $941.7 million
    • NINR $200.7 million
    • NCI $6.79 billion
    • NIMHD $661.8 million
    • ARPA-H $3 billon

 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – The bill includes a total of $10.6 billion for CDC, an increase of $2.7 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level
    • CDC-TB, STD and HIV/AIDS program $1.51 billion
    • CDC – Occupational Safety and Health – $360.3 million
    • CDC - Environmental Health $326.3 million
    • CDC - Global Health $842.8 million
    • CDC – Climate program $110 million
    • CDC – Chronic Disease Awareness $5 million

 

The House Appropriations Committee has also reported bills funding other key federal agencies of interest to the ATS.  Below are funding details from other federal agencies:

 

USAID - International TB Control Funding

$469 million for Tuberculosis, an increase of $150 million over FY 2021, which includes $15 million for Global TB Drug Facility, level-funded from FY 2021.

 

VA Research Funding

$902 million for the Medical and Prosthetic Research Program at VA, an increase of $87 million over FY 2021. 

 

EPA Funding

$11.34 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an increase of $2.11 billion over FY 2021.

    • $139.19 million for Clean Air within the EPA Science and Technology program, an increase of $20.56 million over FY 2021.
    • $6.7 million for Indoor Air & Radiation within the EPA Science and Technology program, an increase of $1.56 million over FY 2021.
    • $435.15 million for Clean Air within the EPA Environmental Programs & Management budget, an increase of $152.9 million over FY 2021.

 

Process Going Forward

The full House of Representatives will soon consider and likely pass the bills reported by the House Appropriations Committee.  The Senate will begin its consideration of FY22 funding bills soon.  It is important to note that budget allocation levels in the House of Representatives are higher than the Senate budget numbers.  It is likely the Senate funding levels for key federal programs will be lower than the House-passed numbers.   


 

ATS Coding and Billing Quarterly Newsletter is Now Available

The June issue of the ATS Coding and Billing Quarterly newsletter is now available on the ATS website. This issue covers several topics including: coding guidance on how to report treating patients with long haul COVID-19 symptoms, state-based coverage for smoking cessation programs, and member Q&A on PFT interpretation, COVID-19 chart review and medical decision making.

Last Reviewed: July 2021