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January 2, 2003
Dear Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Obey: The undersigned members of the Friends of AHRQ greatly appreciate your commitment to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Your continued support is crucial as you finalize the FY2003 budget when the 108th Congress convenes in January. Our organizations recognize that over the next several weeks the Subcommittee will be making hard choices regarding funding for many important programs. With this in mind, we want to reiterate our support for AHRQ and emphasize that AHRQ research is needed now more than ever with medical costs on the increase, patient safety improvement demonstrations just beginning, increases in the number of the uninsured, and Congress looking into expanding Medicare benefits. Following the Administration's proposal to cut AHRQ funding by $48 million would severely impact AHRQ and its research. Under the proposed budget, AHRQ would be unable to fund any new research or training grants, and funding for current non-patient safety research will be reduced by nearly 50 percent. We urge you to reject this approach. As you know, Congressman Ernest Istook is asking that the Subcommittee fund AHRQ at $375 million for FY2003. We support this figure and believe it is necessary in order to allow AHRQ to continue current grants and to increase research in the areas of quality of care and health care financing. Your past assistance for AHRQ has been critical in allowing the Agency to provide sophisticated solutions to many health care problems. Further investments are needed to resolve the even more complex problems facing our health care system. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Ambulatory Pediatric Association |
