2015

2015 NHSC Loan Repayment Program Application Cycle Open (February 2015)
The 2015 National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program application cycle is now open and will close on March 30, 2015 at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.
This program provides loan repayment assistance to licensed primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers who serve in communities with limited access to health care.  Eligible providers can receive up to $50,000 to repay their health professional student loans in exchange for a two-year commitment to work at an approved NHSC site in a high-need, underserved area.  The payment is free from Federal income tax and is made at the beginning of service so loans can be more quickly paid down.  There are both full-time and half-time service options.

The 2015 application cycle is expected to be competitive. On average, it can take up to three weeks to complete an application so applicants are encouraged to apply early.  The process may improve this year for applicants now that some loan information can be automatically populated by the National Student Loan Data System.  Additional information is available at http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/index.html.

 

 

2014

IOM Releases Highly Anticipated GME Report (August 2014)
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its long-awaited report examining the governance and financing of graduate medical education on July 29. The report entitled, “Graduate Medical Education that Meets the Nation’s Health Needs,” includes the following key recommendations:

• Maintain Medicare graduate medical education (GME) support at the current aggregate amount while taking essential steps to modernize GME payment methods based on performance. The current Medicare GME payment system should be phased out.
• Build a GME policy and financing infrastructure that includes the creation of a GME Policy Council and a GME Center housed in the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS, respectively.
• Create one Medicare GME fund that includes an Operational Fund and a GME Transformational Fund.
• Modernize Medicare GME payment methodology.
• Mandate that Medicaid GME funding have the same level of transparency and accountability as Medicare GME funding.

 

2013

ACOI Calls on Congress to Support GME Funding (December 2013)
The ACOI recently joined with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and others to call on Congress to protect funding for Graduate Medical Education (GME) during budget negotiations. With a projected shortage of 91,500 doctors by 2020 and an estimated 10,000 new Medicare beneficiaries each day, the ACOI and others believe it is imperative that Congress act to protect and expand graduate medical education training opportunities. According to the letter sent by the ACOI and others on November 20, “Any reduction in Medicare support for GME would dramatically and rapidly increase shortages of primary care and specialist physicians that seniors (and others) rely upon. The nation must provide the necessary support to train more physicians or it will be increasingly difficult for patients to find the doctors they need.” The letter also states, “Medicare GME cuts that jeopardize physician training and limit critical services are a step in the wrong direction.” The ACOI will continue to work to protect and expand training opportunities in graduate medical education.

 

$14.2 Billion Spent on Health Professional Training in 2012 (October 2013)
According to a report released by the General Accounting Office (GAO), the federal government spent $14.2 billion on 91 programs for postsecondary training or education for health professionals in fiscal year 2012. The programs were administered through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and Department of Education. Graduate medical education accounted for 78 percent of the expenditures. Medicare payments to hospitals in the form of Direct Graduate Medical Education and Indirect Medical Education accounted for about 66 percent of total reported healthcare workforce training funding. The full report entitled, “Health Care Workforce: Federally Funded Training Programs in Fiscal Year 2012” is available at http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-709R.

 

Interest Rates on Federal Student Loans Double (July 2013)
The House and Senate have failed to reach agreement on how best to prevent a doubling of student loan interest rates. As a result, the interest rates on new student loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent effective July 1. While the House approved the “Smarter Solutions for Students Act” (H.R. 1911), the White House indicated that the President would veto the legislation. As a result, agreement will have to be found by both the House and Senate prior to a final legislative package going to the President’s desk for his signature. There are currently over seven million students who take out loans each year to cover their educational expenses.

 

ACOI Joins With Others in Call to Preserve GME Funding (March 2013)
The ACOI has joined with 44 organizations calling on Congress to preserve funding for graduate medical education. With a projected shortage of 90,000 physicians by 2020, it is more important than ever to preserve the federal funding that supports medical training at teaching hospitals across the country. The ACOI continues to work in collaboration with other organizations to support funding for graduate medical education.

 

ACOI Supports Efforts to Promote Physician Workforce Growth (January 2013)
The ACOI joined with other physician organizations asking congressional leaders to support funding for the National Healthcare Workforce Commission. The Commission was designed as an independent body to study and advise policy makers on a broad range of workforce-related topics such as identifying national workforce priorities and goals. Guidance from the Commission will ensure that training funds are spent in areas where they can have the greatest impact. Securing funding for the Commission will ensure that Congress is provided with necessary and comprehensive analysis of workforce issues allowing lawmakers to assess difficult workforce spending initiatives in an informed fashion.

 

2012

J-1 Visa Waiver Program Extended (October 2012)
The President signed into law S. 3245 (Pub. L. 112-176) on September 28. The legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to extend the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program through September 30, 2015. The program is used to encourage International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to practice in underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the J-1 visa home residency requirement. S. 3245 was approved by unanimous consent in the Senate on August 2 and by a vote of 412-3 in the House on September 13.

 

2011

House Approves Legislation to Modify Payment Structure of Graduate Medical Education (June 2011)
The House approved H.R. 1216 to convert mandatory funding for training at health centers into an authorized appropriation. The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA, Pub. L. 111-148) provided $230 million to health centers to establish or expand primary care training programs for medical residents from fiscal years 2011 to 2015. H.R. 1216 is part of the House leadership’s ongoing efforts to completely defund the ACA. The legislation is not expected to clear the Senate and the White House has expressed strong opposition to H.R. 1216.