From Emory U: How federalism shapes public health financing, policy, and program options

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22635185

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2012 Jul;18(4):317-22.

How federalism shapes public health financing, policy, and program options.

Ogden LL.

Source

Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr Ogden is now with the Office ofHealth Reform Strategy, Policy, and Coordination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.

Abstract

In the United States, fiscal and functional federalism strongly shape public health policy and programs. Federalism has implications for public health practice: it molds financing and disbursement options, including funding formulas, which affect allocations and program goals, and shapes how funding decisions are operationalized in a political context. This article explores how American federalism, both fiscal and functional, structures public health funding, policy, and program options, investigating the effects of intergovernmental transfers on public health finance and programs.