OnSiteClinics.Org

Funding for AHRQ in Jeopardy

Actions taken recently at the Congressional level at first were stunning to us, but as we thought about it and complete lack of responsibility the Congress has taken over the last few years, it seemed par for the course.  As all of you are aware by now, the House of Representatives appropriations bill will eliminate all funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.   THE federal agency responsible for funding hundreds of important research grants which result in data and findings benefiting all of us may no longer exist if our representatives get their way.  Apparently, like so many other programs, it is felt that the work this agency does is trivial, unimportant, and not worthy of continued financial support.   So, the provision of healthcare costs us more of our national GDP than many other developed nations in the world, with surprisingly poor outcomes.  So, obesity is nearly one-third of our population and millions are uninsured.  So, we have expensive but ineffective methods of providing healthcare to everyone.  We don’t need research on that, right?

Well, at least some of the professionals out there disagree, perhaps with the funding of many national physician and other healthcare organizations behind them, they might even stop this freight train rolling down the tracks.  Who knows?   But, one thing we do know for sure, their research on a multitude of issues helps inform your medical directors routinely on best practices, getting value for every dollar you and your employees spend on healthcare.  Or, maybe employers will be left with the task of figuring out how to fund these studies, just like you are already way ahead of the government in figuring out how to fix the broken healthcare system.  Just another “cost of doing business?”