The proposed cuts in these programs are detrimental to our patients who suffer from diseases of substance abuse. Another area of concern in the Mayor s budget is the lack of detail in the funding of the Preventive Health Services Administration. We know that in Fiscal Year 2001 there were significant cuts in the budget of this Administration. Cuts to this budget reduce the amount of funds matched by the federal government. Additionally, speaking as a clinician, the Mayor s desire to expand screening of ovarian cancer is not an effective use of dollars.
Ovarian cancer is rare.
There are no proven effective screening measures for the detection of ovarian cancer. The Mayor makes no mention of increasing the funding for screening of the far more common cancers such as prostate and breast cancer. The Medical Society applauds the Mayor for his proposed increased funding of the Medical Assistance Administration. Again, though, the Mayor s budget lacks detail showing how he would use this increase in funding. Don t decrease DSH payments to hospitals to increase Medicaid eligibility.