In Case You Haven't Heard…

Democratic attorneys general and governors in 23 states and Washington, D.C., have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging that the department's sudden rollback of $12 billion in public health funding was unlawful and harmful, CNN Health reported. In the lawsuit, filed April 1, the states are seeking a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief to immediately halt the administration's funding cuts that they say will lead to key public health services being discontinued and thousands of health care workers losing their jobs. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pulled back about $11.4 billion in funding allocated to state and community health departments during the Covid‐19 pandemic response. The CDC expects to start recovering this money in about 30 days, according to HHS. An additional $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration was terminated, according to the attorneys general. The coalition of states argues that even though these eliminated funds were allocated during the Covid‐19 pandemic, they were never intended only for Covid‐19 response. Rather, much of the funding was allocated to support the public health system in the long term, as well as for pandemic preparedness and certain behavioral health services, including addiction treatment and suicide prevention. HHS said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.