THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly

IN THIS ISSUE:
1) HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Announces FY 2005 Budget
2) HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Homeland Security Tom Ridge Announce $274 Million to Protect the Nation from Bioterrorism
3) Public Health Emergency Preparedness
4) New Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries
5) Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-diabetes
6) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule:

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Announces FY 2005 Budget

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced his FY 2005 budget and budget priorities at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 2nd.

President Bush has made reducing health care disparities in this country one of his top priorities. In order to achieve this goal, HHS is requesting $6.5 billion for targeted minority health spending in 2005. This includes investments for research and prevention of cardiovascular health, diabetes, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

Community Health Centers is a key element to reducing health care disparities. The president is requesting $1.8 billion for community health centers so access to health services to 15 million more people, regardless of their ability to pay. In the past three years, we have expanded access to 3.2 million people.

In an attempt to frontload the health care system and prevent people from getting sick President Bush and Secretary Thompson are asking to triple the budget for the Steps to a Healthier US program. The budget also includes a request for initiatives to increase patient safety and medical research to improve the public health infrastructure.

The president is also requesting $80 million over the next two years to purchase additional flu vaccine under the Vaccines for Children Program. With HHS buying four to six million doses of vaccine, we will help ensure that manufacturers produce enough vaccine to help prevent shortfalls in the future.

Since 2001, HHS has invested and made major advances in the area of biodefense. This year, to continue this investment the president is requesting $274 million for HHS and the Department of Homeland Security.

The President is also looking to encourage healthy families through several government programs. The Access to Recovery program budget, along with the Compassion Capital Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Mentoring Children of Prisoners, Promoting Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriages and Maternity Group Homes will be the primary recipient of increased budget requests to achieve that goal.

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HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Homeland Security Tom Ridge Announce $274 Million to Protect the Nation from Bioterrorism

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced President Bush's 2005 budget request to include $274 million Bio-surveillance Program Initiative to increase resources to detect and respond to a potential bioterrorist attack. The initiative will include enhanced funding and increased coordination in the public health system for human health, hospital preparedness, state and local preparedness, vaccine research and procurement, animal health, food and agriculture safety and environmental monitoring.

"Better bio-surveillance will mean early detection and improved response to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies," Secretary Thompson said. "It is vital that we detect, monitor and treat any disease outbreak as quickly and efficiently as possible. This initiative will better integrate information to give us the tools we need to protect American families."

Since 2001, the Bush Administration has spent or budgeted $12.9 billion to prepare and protect the nation from a bioterror attack, including $5.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2004. This is 15 times the $305 million spent in fiscal year 2001.

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Public Health Emergency Preparedness

"Then and Now"

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Medicare Minute
New Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries

The recently enacted prescription drug benefit will help Medicare beneficiaries in several ways.

• The benefit provides access to discounted prescription drugs. Under the fully implemented benefit, those who now pay full retail prices could see their prescription drug prices reduced by an estimated 20 percent or more.¹ In addition, their overall out-of-pocket drug spending could fall by about 50 percent or more-in exchange for a premium of about $35 per month in 2006.

• It provides catastrophic protection for all seniors and those with disabilities who have high out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses. A $2, $5, or 5 percent coinsurance amount per prescription will be required once a beneficiary accumulates $3,600 in out-of-pocket prescription drug spending.

• It provides additional coverage for millions of Medicare beneficiaries of limited means and with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Those of limited means and with incomes below 135 percent of poverty will pay no monthly premium, no deductible, and only $1 to $5 per prescription in cost-sharing, while those of limited means and with incomes between 135 percent and 150 percent of poverty, will pay reduced premiums, a significantly reduced deductible of $50, and reduced cost-sharing.²

• It provides a prescription drug discount card program and immediate assistance of $600 for those individuals with limited savings and low-incomes who do not have other coverage.

• It provides savings for states and better coordination of care for Medicare beneficiaries who also qualify for Medicaid.

¹ Calculation assumes 20 percent savings, on average, for the fully implemented benefit through a combination of management techniques. CMS Office of the Actuary.

² In 2006, 150 percent of poverty would correspond to about $14,000 in annual income for a single individual and about $19,000 for a couple. 135 percent of poverty would be about $13,000 for singles and $17,000 for couples. Projection of 2003 Federal Poverty Levels.

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Personal Health
Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses digested food for growth and energy. Normally, the food you eat is broken down into glucose. The glucose then passes into your bloodstream, where it is used by your cells for growth and energy. For glucose to reach your cells, however, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas, a hand-sized gland behind your stomach.

Most people with type 2 diabetes have two problems: the pancreas may not produce enough insulin, and fat, muscle, and liver cells cannot use it effectively. This means that glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body--without fulfilling its role as the body's main source of fuel.

About 18.2 million people in the United States have diabetes. Of those, 13 million are diagnosed and 5.2 million are undiagnosed. Ninety to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and new-onset blindness in American adults. People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to develop heart disease.

Pre-diabetes, also called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), is a condition in which your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Having pre-diabetes puts you at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If you have pre-diabetes, you are also at increased risk for developing heart disease.

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if

• you are overweight
• you are 45 years old or older
• you have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
• your family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic American/Latino, or Pacific Islander
• you have had gestational diabetes or gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, or you have been told that you have high blood pressure
• your HDL cholesterol is 35 or lower, or your triglyceride level is 250 or higher
• you are fairly inactive, or you exercise fewer than three times a week

In a cross-section of American adults age 40 to 74 who were tested during the period 1988 to 1994, 20.1 million had pre-diabetes (IGT, IGF, or both). Those with pre-diabetes are likely to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years, unless they take steps to prevent or delay diabetes. The results of the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that modest weight loss and regular exercise can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

This information is provided by the National Institutes of Health Web site.

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Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's public schedule:

• Monday February 2
  1:30 Press Conference; 2005 Budget rollout
• Thursday February 4
  7:30 National Prayer Breakfast

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Last updated: February 2, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Contact the HHS Newsletter Team.