Budget deal includes big changes for healthcare

Editor's Note

The US Congress on February 9 passed a budget deal that will have a significant impact across nearly every sector of the healthcare industry, the March 9 Business Insider reports.

Among the initiatives are:

• $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health
• $6 billion to combat the opioid crisis
• $4 billion for VA hospital and clinic improvements
• $7 billion to community health centers
• $495 million for medical education
• $363 million to academic health centers.

The plan also:

• closes the donut hole in Medicare’s prescription drug coverage
• extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program for 10 years
• repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board for Medicare set up as part of the Affordable Care Act. 

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