Health Beat: President wants nearly $83 billion in discretionary funding for HHS

Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Health Beat,” a round-up of health-related topics.

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PRESIDENT OBAMA UNVEILS HHS’S $83 BILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL 2017
In his fiscal year 2017 budget, President Obama is requesting $82.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to expand critical investments that “protect the health and well-being of the American people,” the White House said. In the budget, HHS officials said targeted reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs are projected to save roughly $375 billion over the next decade. To view highlights of the budget, click here.

UNOS OFFERS ZIKA VIRUS GUIDANCE FOR ORGAN DONATION, TRANSPLANT PROFESSIONALS
Amid President Obama’s request to Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight the Zika virus, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has offered its guidance to transplant centers and Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO) regarding the rapidly spreading disease. The Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, which has an annual budget of more than $12 million, is one of the nation’s 58 OPOs.

The Zika virus may infect deceased donors prior to, or during their terminal illness. Further, living donors may become infected prior to transplant, UNOS said in a statement. In addition, Zika virus is likely to present a concern for solid organ recipients travelling from affected regions. The risk of transmitting the disease through solid organ transplantation is unknown at this time, but based on preliminary reports, it is theoretically possible that the virus could be transmitted through blood transfusion, UNOS said. To learn more about the UNOS guidance, click here.

PATIENT ACCESS TO ONLINE HEALTH ACTION PLAN ENHANCES PREVENTIVE CARE
A large study demonstrated that health plan members who accessed their health information online and received timely alerts about potential gaps in care were more likely to receive preventive tests and screenings than those who did not use the service. The Kaiser Permanente study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

In the study, researchers analyzed the electronic health records of 838,638 Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California. Researchers found that members who had online access to their health information were more likely to participate in certain preventive measures. For example, patients who used the online tool were 9% more likely to receive a mammogram and be screened for colorectal cancer than non-registered members. In addition, they were 6% more likely to receive a Pap smear and 12% more likely to schedule complete routine testing for diabetes.

NIH RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY STRIKING GENOMIC SIGNATURE SHARED BY FIVE TYPES OF CANCER
National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a striking signature in tumor DNA that occurs in five different types of cancer. They also found evidence that this methylation signature may be present in many more types of cancer. The specific signature results from a chemical modification of DNA called methylation, which can control the expression of genes like a dimmer on a light switch.

Higher amounts of DNA methylation, like that found by the researchers in some tumor DNA, decreases a gene’s activity. Based on this advance, the researchers hope to spur development of a blood test that can be used to diagnose a variety of cancers at early stages, when treatments can be most effective. The study appeared on Feb. 5 in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.