The Budget Justification is excerpted here.
For the complete report:
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Introduction and Mission
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA),
an Agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is the principal Federal Agency charged with increasing access to basic health care for those who are medically underserved. Health care in the United States is among the finest in the world, but it is not available to everyone. Millions of families still face barriers to quality health care because of their income, lack of insurance, geographic isolation, or language and cultural barriers. In the report, America’s Health Care Safety Net, the Institute of Medicine concluded that in the absence of universal insurance coverage and while paradigms are unfolding, it seems likely that the nation will continue to rely on safety net providers to care for it’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. Assuring a safety net for individuals and families who live outside the economic and medical mainstream is a key HRSA role.
HRSA’s mission, as articulated in its Strategic Plan for 2005-2010, is to provide the national leadership, program resources and services needed to improve access to culturally competent, quality health care for uninsured, underserved, vulnerable, and special needs populations. HRSA programs and services target, for example:
- The 46 million Americans who lack health insurance - many of whom are racial and ethnic minorities,
- Over 50 million underserved Americans who live in rural and poor urban neighborhoods where health care services are scarce,
- African American infants who still are 2.4 times as likely as white infants to die before their first birthday,
- The more than 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, both in and out of care,
- Over 94,000 Americans who are waiting for an organ transplant.
As the Nation’s access agency, HRSA envisions optimal health care for all, supported by a health care system that assures access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality care.
Overview of Budget Request
The FY 2010 President’s Budget request for HRSA is $7,126,700,000, a decrease of $107,736,000 below the FY 2009 Omnibus level.
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