The bill appropriates part of the budget specified in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which provides $63 billion in sequestration relief — split evenly between defense and nondefense programs — by increasing discretionary spending limits in FY 2014 and 2015.
Although the legislation restores funding for many agencies to pre-sequestration levels, healthcare will still see cuts. The measure includes a $1 billion cut for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health fund and a $10 million reduction for the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a Medicare cost-control panel established by the reform law.
Furthermore, the legislation appropriates $3.7 billion for CMS management and operations, the same amount established by sequestration cuts. And although the bill increases National Institutes of Health funding by $1 billion, the agency’s overall funding level will be $700 million short of pre-sequestration levels.
The bill now moves to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it by tomorrow, according to a report from The Washington Post.
More Articles on the Federal Budget:
Spending Bill Doesn’t Go Far Enough to Restore Biomedical Research Funding
The $150 Billion Question: How to Pay for a Permanent SGR Repeal
Omnibus Spending Bill Would Cut PPACA Fund by $1B
