While we don't yet have a formally adopted budget, I was intrigued to look at the areas for which President Obama is proposing funding.

I'll set aside the mind-blowing question of how we are going to pay for this, and focus instead on the key emphases in the Health and Human Services section -- and then tickle your brains to see if you can spot where future business opportunities might lie for the savvy and well-positioned physician business person.

I call it "Obama-brainstorming" and I bet it is happening in numerous sectors of the economy where money is going to be allocated (which is what I suspect he and his team have in mind to awaken America's entrepreneurial spirit!)

Here is the Obama HHS Budget section:

      Funding Highlights:

• Accelerates the adoption of health information technology and utilization of electronic health records.

• Expands research comparing the effectiveness of medical treatments to give patients and physicians better information on what works best.

• Invests over $6 billion for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health as part of the Administration’s multi-year commitment to double cancer research funding.

• Strengthens the Indian health system with sustained investments in health care services for American Indians and Alaska Natives to address persistent health disparities and foster healthy Indian communities.

• Invests $330 million to increase the number of doctors, nurses, and dentists practicing in areas of the country experiencing shortages of health professionals.

• Supports families by providing additional funding for affordable, high-quality child care, expanding Early Head Start and Head Start, and creating the Nurse Home Visitation   support first-time mothers.

• Strengthens the Medicare program by encouraging high quality and efficient care, and improving program integrity.

• Invests over $1 billion for Food and Drug Administration food safety efforts to increase and improve inspections, domestic surveillance, laboratory capacity and domestic response to prevent and control foodborne illness.

The following list shows the key initiatives the budget proposes funding:

1. Begin the doubling of funding for Cancer Research.
2. Accelerate the Adoption of health information Technology (iT).
3. Lower drug costs and improves food and medical product safety.
4. Strengthen Program integrity, i.e. reduce fraud, waste, and abuse.
5. Improve Medicare’s sustainability by encouraging high quality and efficient care, and reducing excessive Medicare payments.
6. Expand the Medicare and Medicaid Research Agenda with new Medicare and Medicaid demonstration and pilot projects to evaluate payment reforms, ways to provide higher quality care at lower costs, improve beneficiary education and understanding of benefits offered, and better align provider payments with costs.
7. Provide health care coverage to low-income individuals.
8. Enhance HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
9. Strengthen the health professions workforce, addressing health care provider shortages in certain
   areas, expanding loan repayment programs for physicians, nurses, and dentists who agree to practice in medically underserved areas.
10. Expand access to health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
11. Support Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
12. Improve rural health.
13. Compare the effectiveness of treatments, which when coupled with electronic health records,  can form the basis for clinical decision support tools.
14. Make a down payment on the President’s “Zero to five” Plan, providing support for young children and their families.
15. Provide energy assistance to low-income families with their home heating and cooling expenses.
16. Prevent teen pregnancy.
17. Provide support for other Presidential initiatives including funding to reduce
    domestic violence and enhance emergency care systems and address substance addiction.

Since many of us are likely to be paying higher taxes, we might as well find ways to earn back money through creative entrepreneurship from the funds being allocated for these initiatives.

So I urge you -- take a look at this list, fire up your imaginations, figure out who to partner with and get producing!