Prevention Matters

Initial reports indicate that prevention and wellness funding squeezed out a win in the economic stimulus package hammered out by House-Senate conferees today on Capitol Hill.

More details to come, but so far we're told the $789 billion package includes $1 billion under the category of Prevention -Wellness Trust (including 317 Immunizations), and 500 million for the health workforce.

The House had sought $3 billion for those provisions in its version of the bill, while the Senate originally sought $5.8 billion but zeroed out that funding to accommodate moderate Republicans who provided the votes needed to get the bill through the Senate.

While the final $1.5 billion figure falls short of original hopes, it still represents the single biggest infusion of support ever given to the nation's public health system.