Our Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) provides funding to 62 States, territories and municipalities to improve surge capacity and enhance hospital preparedness for large-scale disasters. Since 2005, nearly $6 billion in HPP grants have been awarded to increase the response effectiveness of hospitals and community healthcare coalitions across the nation. These coalitions include emergency management, public health, mental/behavioral health providers, and community and faith-based partners. Besides organizing and coordinating these groups when responding to a disaster, HPP grants also provide funding for hospitals to continually plan, equip, train, exercise and evaluate effective emergency response strategies. HPP is credited with saving lives during the 2009 H1N1 Swine flu pandemic, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

However, advocates are concerned our emergency preparedness has suffered from cuts to the HPP budget – including a 30% cut in 2013. HPP’s 2004 budget was about $500 million but has been cut every year since. Today, the HPP only has enough to annually distribute $245 million among 5,000 U.S. hospitals. Advocates say these cuts have led to staff reductions which will make it very challenging for these health-care coalitions to expand and be maintained.

Proposed Legislation: To make permanent the funding level of $500 million per year for the Hospital Preparedness Program
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA)