The Department of Health General Government Operations appropriation for the 1997-98 fiscal year is $18.9 million, which is the same as last year. However, this year the Department of Health decided to include the administrative revenues for a number of different programs such as AIDS programs, Primary Health Care Practitioner, Renal Dialysis Management, and Cancer Programs as part of the General Government line item. Administrative revenues for these individual programs are reduced, thus saving $2 million. The question that remains: at whose expense? According to the Governor's documents that accompanied the budget, the Department of Health will lose 55 positions in the 1997-98 fiscal year.

     The General Assembly appropriated $1 million for a new initiative which is part of a larger plan entitled "Project for Community Building." The money that will be used from the Department will be used to address the problem of teen pregnancy by establishing an abstinence education program.

     The Poison Control Centers that were cut in the budget proposed by the Governor to $500,000 are restored by the General Assembly at $1.25 million.

     The program entitled "Special Medical Services" is really three programs combined. In this year's budget it will receive the same amount as last year. However, the department is requesting that certain services that were heretofore funded will not be, and that there may be financial criteria needs that have to be met before services can be rendered. The Department feels that $671,000 will be sufficient to fund Spina Bifida services; $647,000 for the Home Ventilator Program and "Participating provider Agreements for services for Children with Special needs". However, the General Assembly has inserted special language that would allow home ventilator children to receive respite care and case management similar to the levels they received last year.

     The General Assembly appropriated $16 million in the 1997-98 budget which was a slight decrease for the State Health Centers last year. But this year there are three "pilot" centers being tested to determine if medical needs are being meet by the community it is designed to serve. In the process of doing this, the department transferred 19 medical employees to other district offices. It has yet to be determined if the goals of the pilot are being met.

     The Governor recommended $6.3 million for AIDS programs in the 1997-98 fiscal year, the same amount as last year. However, the General Assembly appropriated an additional $200,000, $100,000 to be used for meals on wheels program and $100,000 for case management. On the federal side HIV CARE for the 1997-98 state fiscal year will receive $12.6 million; last year it received $7.3 million. However, the Department has indicated that a portion of the $12.6 million this year is an amount that the Department of Health gives to the Department of Public Welfare for its Special Pharmaceutical program. It is estimated that the federal HIV CARE funds are about $6 million.