President Donald Trump unveiled his fiscal 2026 budget proposal May 2, cutting non-defense federal spending by $160 billion.
Six things to know for healthcare leaders:
- The budget provides resources to HHS to promote nutrition, physical activity, healthy lifestyles and more, according to the White House press release. The funds will also tackle “over-reliance on medications and treatments” as well as food and drug quality and safety.
- The VA medical centers will receive additional funds for healthcare services. Qualified veterans can also receive care from local community providers to expand access for those who otherwise would have to drive hours for care.
- The budget would cut funds nearly in half for the National Institutes of Health and CDC. The NIH’s funding would fall from around $48 billion to $27 billion and the CDC funding from $9 billion to $4 billion, according to The New York Times.
- The budget further would eliminate divisions for the CDC focused on disease and injury prevention, including gun violence. It would also cut the programs for environmental health, global health and public health preparedness, according to The Times. The CDC’s focus would narrow to cover just infectious disease.
- President Trump’s budget proposes $1 billion cuts from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- The budget does not cut funding for Medicare or Medicaid.