Federal Spending Cuts Could Affect San Diego County Health Programs

Spending cuts in the federal budget could lead to reduced funding for a number of health programs in San Diego County, the Copley News/San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Under a budget plan approved by the House and Senate in December 2005, funding mostly to entitlement programs for low-income residents and some other groups would be reduced by $40 billion over five years. The reductions would affect Medicaid, Medicare, Head Start, programs that help pregnant women and young children with health care and HIV/AIDS programs.

Administrators at San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care say the cuts will lead to about $30,000 in reduced reimbursement for treating Medicaid beneficiaries and $150,000 in reduced funding for a stay-at-home program for residents with HIV/AIDS.

In addition, the Neighborhood House Association expects to lose about $1 million of its $82-million grant for Head Start programs, which help 11,283 children in the county with early education, nutrition and health programs (Wilkie, Copley News/San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/26).