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Program Enhancements and Other Budget Adjustments
Department of Public Health
The Department of Public Health (DPH) is charged with protecting and promoting the health status of Californians through programs and policies that use population-wide interventions. The Governor's Budget includes $3.1 billion ($368.9 million General Fund) for the DPH in 2008-09, a decrease of $246.2 million ($26 million General Fund) from the revised 2007-08 budget and a $2.9 million ($21.7 million General Fund) net decrease from the 2007 Budget Act level.
HIV/AIDS TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
The Office of AIDS administers programs that provide local assistance funding for HIV education and prevention services, HIV counseling and testing, early intervention to prevent transmission, epidemiological studies, therapeutic monitoring, housing, home and community-based care, and HIV/AIDS drug assistance to low-income persons statewide.
The Governor's Budget includes $404.1 million ($165.8 million General Fund) for the Office of AIDS' Treatment and Prevention Program. This is a total decrease of $24.4 million, or 5.8 percent below the revised 2007-08 budget. The 2008-09 expenditure plan includes decreases of $13.4 million to reflect the removal of one-time adjustments and $11 million as part of the budget-balancing reductions.
LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION
Consistent with the requirements of Chapter 895, Statutes of 2006 (SB 1312), the DPH conducted a thorough comparison of state and federal standards for long-term health care facilities to determine the staff requirements necessary to ensure compliance with the legislation. Based on the outcome of the study, the Governor's Budget includes 68.0 positions and $8.9 million from the Licensing and Certification Program Fund that will allow the DPH to conduct periodic licensing surveys of long-term care facilities to assess compliance with state standards of safety and care. Although increases in provider fees are necessary to support these expenditures, the additional funding will ensure that California provides long-term care residents with a higher quality of medical care than required by federal law.
PROPOSITION 99 EXPENDITURES
Smoking rates in California continue to decline, due in part to the effectiveness of the Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988 (Proposition 99), the California Children and Families First Initiative (Proposition 10), and California's tobacco control programs. The Governor's Budget projects Proposition 99 revenue of $335.3 million in 2008-09, $8 million more than the revised 2007-08 budget. This estimated increase is attributable to a Board of Equalization proposal to better recover state tax revenues from cigarette and tobacco sales. However, the revised 2007-08 revenue estimates are $9.7 million below the 2007 Budget Act level. Historically, Proposition 99 revenues have declined annually as a result of declining smoking rates. Figure HHS-07 reflects the declining trend of revenue.
Due to statutory restrictions on Proposition 99 revenue allocations, the decline in revenues adversely impacts health programs funded within the Hospital Services, Physician Services, and Unallocated accounts. In addition, expenditures for the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program are expected to increase by 14 percent, or $8.3 million, in 2008-09. As a result, Proposition 99 funding to other health programs is decreased as follows:
- 2007-08 Expenditures - The Governor's Budget includes $228.2 million for health programs. This includes reductions of $778,000 for the California Healthcare for Indigents Program (CHIP) and $100,000 for Rural Health Services, and a one-time increase of $10 million for the Expanded Access to Primary Care program pursuant to Chapter 261, Statutes of 2007.
- 2008-09 Expenditures - The Governor's Budget proposes total expenditures of $330.7 million for all programs supported by Proposition 99 revenues (see Figure HHS-08). Of this amount, $216 million is for health programs. Due to lower revenues, overall funding for health programs declines by 4.9 percent from the 2007 Budget Act level. Major reductions include $12.8 million for the CHIP, $4.2 million for the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, $4.3 million for the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program, and $1.2 million for the Expanded Access to Primary Care program.
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for
Health and Human Services Back to Top
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Provides this entire Health and Human Services Chapter in pdf format.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Back to Top
Proposed Budget Detail - Health and Human Services
Displays Proposed Budget Detail information for Health and Human Services.
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