ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today President Biden released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 federal budget with an emphasis on increased funding for medical research and expanded access to health insurance. 

The proposal allocates $48.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an $811 million increase compared to FY 2023; $7.8 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—a $500 million increase compared to FY 2023; and $2.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)—a $1 billion increase compared to FY 2023. The request also specifically allocates $1 billion for the Cancer Moonshot initiative.

A statement from Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Board Chair Lori J. Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, follows:

“The president has once more demonstrated his commitment to ‘ending cancer as we know it.’ The funding increases for NIH, NCI, and ARPA-H in his 2024 budget proposal would provide necessary support for key pillars of our nation’s biomedical research infrastructure.

“Furthermore, ASCO appreciates the proposal to expand Medicaid-like coverage to the more than 2 million people who live in non-expansion states and do not have sufficient access to coverage for health care. ASCO has long advocated for all Americans having access to affordable and meaningful health care coverage regardless of their income or health status.

“ASCO looks forward to the release of additional details and proposals related to the president’s 2024 budget request. We are committed to working with the administration and Congress to implement policies that provide robust medical research funding and improve access to high-quality, equitable cancer care.”