Federal cuts to Covid-era funding causes concern for state health agencies

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan health agencies have been hit hard by billions of dollars in funding cuts by the Trump administration.

Late Thursday a federal judge temporarily blocked health funding cuts worth billions to the states. But the uncertainty of the Covid funding that critics argue was never meant to be permanent, continues - with the push-and-pull of Wahington DC and the courts.

"These are Oakland County residents whose health is less protected today than it was on Monday, strictly as a result of what I view as reckless cuts," said Oakland County Executive David Coulter.

The backstory:

Across the nation, agencies are feeling it.

Hilary Golston, FOX 2: "You’re a wealthy county. Does that argument sit well with you, that the US has to roll these things back because the pandemic’s over?"

"We might be a wealthy county but we don’t have unlimited funds," Coulter said. "We didn’t have the funds to do this during Covid, that’s why our partners at the federal level stepped in."

Oakland County says that it may lose more than $3.5 million for wastewater surveillance and that infection prevention at 146 long-term care facilities could be slashed. Their jobs were tracking Covid cases, norovirus, flu and other illnesses.

Republicans argue the cuts were necessary because they were earmarked for covid and the pandemic, which was five years ago.

"If you say this isn’t needed anymore, I’d say ask the senior whose in a nursing home right now and afraid the person down the hall that's got a particular infection, that that’s not going to spread to them," Coulter said.

"That amount of staff is not enough for the personalized attention that was needed and we really discovered that during Covid," said Kate Guzman, health officer Oakland County. "While these dollars are marked as Covid funding, they’re really to help build the capacity in the communicable disease department."

Across Michigan other health departments could also be feeling the pinch:

• Macomb County down $1.35 million

• Wayne County losing $1.25 million

• Detroit cut nearly $1 million

• Washtenaw County losing $300,000

Almost all claim the pandemic may have been dealt with, but the need it exposed, has not.

"This is where I will agree with the administration," Coulter said. "We’re always looking to provide our services in the most  efficient and cost-effective manner that we can. That implies that we somehow have a bloated government. Believe me - we don't. We run a very lean operation."

Kate Guzman, health officer Oakland County