Bill Overview
Title: To amend title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act to eliminate the sunset of authority to make certain appointments for the National Disaster Medical System, and for other purposes.
Description: This bill makes permanent the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to appoint personnel to the National Disaster Medical System for intermittent disaster response. (This system is a partnership between HHS, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Veterans Affairs that responds to public health and other emergencies.)
Sponsors: Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8]
Target Audience
Population: People benefiting from improved National Disaster Medical System responses to emergencies
Estimated Size: 130000000
- The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a critical response system for public health emergencies, which can affect large populations in disaster events.
- HHS, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Veterans Affairs workers are indirectly affected as they interact with NDMS efforts.
- The NDMS often provides critical services in times of natural disasters, pandemics, and emergencies affecting community health.
- By making the appointments permanent, it ensures a ready and capable workforce, potentially impacting the speed and efficacy of responses to emergencies globally.
Reasoning
- The National Disaster Medical System plays a significant role during disasters, so people directly in the path of such disasters will be most affected by improvements.
- Emergency responders and medical personnel involved with NDMS will experience changes in their operational readiness and resource allocation.
- Residents of disaster-prone areas such as coastal and wildfire zones might see indirect benefits in faster and more effective medical response during emergencies.
- The budget constraint ensures that the system cannot expand too rapidly or serve everyone, thus complicating wide-scale impacts across the U.S.
Simulated Interviews
Emergency Room Nurse (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm very supportive of anything that can help us respond better in emergencies. This policy seems like it could stabilize resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Firefighter (San Jose, CA)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Permanent staffing sounds great. We've had times when extra help was slow to arrive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Public Health Official (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having a more reliable NDMS team could have made past disaster responses quicker and safer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Paramedic (Houston, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that provides more resources and trained personnel during emergencies is beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Clinical Social Worker (Portland, OR)
Age: 40 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Permanent appointments sound like a sensible way to maintain readiness and morale.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired Electrical Engineer (New York, NY)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This sounds good but I'm not directly impacted. I hope it helps my community during storms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Medical Student (Kansas City, MO)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This change could provide more career opportunities in public health and emergency response.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
School Teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's important but don't know if it affects me directly. Better response times are always good.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Construction Worker (Oklahoma City, OK)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If it means more help after tornadoes, I'm for it, but unsure it'll change much.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Nonprofit Coordinator (Boston, MA)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It'd likely make coop efforts smoother and ensure better readiness from our partners.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $73000000)
Year 3: $53500000 (Low: $32000000, High: $74500000)
Year 5: $56000000 (Low: $33500000, High: $78000000)
Year 10: $62000000 (Low: $37000000, High: $86000000)
Year 100: $115000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $150000000)
Key Considerations
- The NDMS's readiness directly influences public health outcomes during emergencies.
- Permanent appointments could stabilize operational costs over long periods, allowing better fiscal planning.
- Capital costs might remain stable or increase depending on tech advancements and disaster response demands.
- Permanent personnel costs could be higher, but effectiveness in response could justify the investment.