*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 1993.12.22 : Year-End Accomplishment Fact Sheet December 22, 1993 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NEWS 1993 -- A YEAR OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS "1993 has been an incredibly productive year for the people here at HHS and for those whom it serves. President Clinton has charted an ambitious course for the federal government to 'put people first,' and that's just what we have done and look forward to doing in 1994. "During our 11 months in office, we have achieved enactment of a sweeping childhood immunization initiative that will guarantee free inoculation to all low-income children in the United States and substantially improve the nation's immunization delivery system; increased funding for such priorities as Head Start, the Ryan White AIDS services program, and programs to address women's health concerns; renewed our effort to control and eventually cure AIDS; processed a record number of Social Security old age, survivors, and disability benefit payments; and approved a dozen State applications for experimentation in health care and welfare. We have also begun a continuous improvement process that will streamline and improve how we manage our programs and deliver quality services to the public. "The Clinton Administration also developed the most comprehensive health reform proposal in our nation's history. The President's Health Security Act will guarantee all Americans health care coverage that is affordable, portable, and permanent. And it will finally get a handle on runaway health care costs that have sapped the budgets of American families, business, and government. "We look forward to the year ahead. It promises to be an exciting one, dominated by debate and enactment of the Health Security Act and introduction of the President's welfare reform proposal. We plan to build on our successes of 1993 as we move our nation forward toward the new century." -- Donna E. Shalala Highlights of 1993 include: Health Reform. During his first week in office, the President appointed the White House Task Force on Health Reform, chaired by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The group conducted an exhaustive public review of the problems facing the American health care system and the people it serves. On September 22, the President outlined his proposals to achieve health security for all Americans. On November 20, the Health Security Act was introduced in both houses of Congress with the largest number of cosponsors of any reform plan now before Congress. Childhood Immunization. The President proposed and Congress enacted the Vaccines for Children program, which guarantees low- income children access to free immunization against preventable diseases and vastly improves the nation's immunization delivery system. The National Outreach Campaign will improve public education as well as training of health care professionals who deliver vaccines. HHS also worked with the Office of Personnel Management to improve immunization coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Children. HHS spending for children's programs has increased by more than $5 billion from $55.3 billion in fiscal year 1993 to $60.7 billion for fiscal year 1994. This includes an expansion of Head Start, child care, lead poisoning prevention, and Healthy Start (a demonstration program aimed at reducing infant mortality). Head Start. The Clinton Administration has made expanding and improving Head Start a top priority. Congress approved a $550 million increase in the program's appropriation for fiscal year 1994. HHS established an Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion to ensure that the program's quality is improved as it is expanded. The Committee's recommendations are expected early in 1994. Deficit Reduction. HHS contributed substantially to the largest deficit reduction effort in the nation's history. As part of a five-year $504 billion package of deficit reduction, growth in Medicare spending was reduced by $56 billion and growth in the federal portion of Medicaid spending was reduced by $7 billion. In addition, discretionary domestic spending was effectively frozen for five years. Reproductive Rights. Immediately upon taking office, the President signed Executive Orders lifting the bans on abortion counseling by Title X (family planning) program grantees and on funding by the National Institutes of Health of biomedical research utilizing fetal tissue. The Administration also has restored funding to international family planning organizations and worked successfully toward a relaxation of restrictions on federally-funded abortions. Waivers. HHS moved aggressively to speed the consideration of State proposals to test innovative approaches to health care and welfare. In its first 11 months in office, the Clinton Administration approved waivers allowing five States to conduct statewide health reform experiments (Oregon, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Kentucky). Similarly, the Department has approved State requests for welfare demonstrations from Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Welfare Reform. A White House Working Group on Welfare Reform, Family Support, and Independence was appointed and has spent the past year considering methods to encourage independence and work and eliminate dependence on welfare programs. A comprehensive proposal will be forthcoming in 1994. AIDS. Twelve years into the AIDS epidemic, the federal effort to find a cure to HIV disease and treatment for the effects of the AIDS virus was galvanized with a new influx of federal funding (including an 18 percent increase in research funds and a 66 percent rise in funding for Ryan White AIDS services) and the first top-level commitment to fighting this deadly disease. The latter was evidenced by the appointment of a National AIDS Policy Coordinator as a member of the White House Staff and direct Presidential participation in World AIDS Day commemorations. HHS also has created a new task force to identify and eliminate impediments to AIDS drug development. Biomedical Research. Breaking a five-year impasse, Congress reauthorized programs under the National Institutes of Health. The new statute eliminates the ban on funding of fetal tissue research and establishes safeguards against imposition of such policies in the future. It also establishes requirements for the inclusion of women and minorities in federally funded research studies and strengthens the role of the Office of AIDS Research. Women's Health. Federal efforts to confront and conquer health problems affecting women were redoubled. Federal funding for fiscal year 1994 in this area was increased by $203 million over fiscal year 1993; a permanent Office of Women's Health Research was created at the National Institutes of Health; a national conference on breast cancer was convened by the Secretary; and women's health concerns are at the center of the disease prevention package of benefits included in the President's Health Security Act. Family Preservation and Support. The President proposed and the Congress enacted the Family Preservation and Support Act, which provides $1 billion over five years to states. Family support programs, such as family resource centers or home visiting programs, work with families before a crisis occurs. The Family Preservation Programs provide services to families experiencing crises to help keep families and children intact. Social Security. Faced with a 41 percent increase in applications for disability claims in the past three years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) released a $198 million contingency fund and was able to process approximately 300,000 more cases than anticipated. Efforts continue to re-engineer the disability process to make it easier for the customer and more efficient for the Agency. Nearly 7.5 million old age, survivors, disability, and Supplemental Security Income claims were processed. SSA handled a record 46 million telephone calls through its toll-free services. Older Americans. The Commissioner on Aging was elevated to the level of Assistant Secretary and the White House Conference on Aging was put on track for May 1995. In addition, the Administration on Aging is preparing to unveil plans for four strategic initiatives in 1994. These are: a blueprint for future retirees; a long term care initiative focused on development of home and community-based care systems; an initiative on older women; and an initiative focusing on malnutrition and nutrition. Management Improvement. Throughout HHS, modern management techniques have been introduced or enhanced to ensure that our products and services are delivered in a caring, effective, and efficient manner. Through the use of such tools as total quality management techniques, re-engineering, strategic planning, and outreach to our partners we have initiated a culture of combining meaningful public policy with proactive management processes. HHS Appointments. Sixteen Presidential appointments have been made and confirmed by the Senate, including eight women and eight men. In addition, the nomination for Director of the Indian Health Service is pending before the Senate. The appointees are distinguished experts in their field, including the first Nobel laureate to lead the National Institutes of Health. The personal backgrounds of these individuals represent a broad array of ethnic, social, and practical experiences. Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343