(Oct. 7, 2008) Before recessing prior to the November election, Congress considered key pieces of legislation related to the training of osteopathic and allopathic physicians.
The House approved the Physician Workforce Act (H.R. 2583), which establishes an interest-free loan program that allows hospitals starting new osteopathic or allopathic residency training programs to secure funds to offset the initial start-up costs.
The loan program is focused on hospitals located in geographic areas that lack teaching programs.
The bill has the potential to assist in the establishment of 50 new residency programs over 10 years.
The legislation was referred to the Senate HELP Committee, but it is unclear at this time if there will be a lame duck session during which the Senate could consider this after the election.
While the House was considering the GME legislation, the Senate adopted a substitute amendment to legislation that reauthorizes the community health center program, providing $13.1 billion for the centers through Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. Community health centers have received strong support from the Bush administration, and more than 6,300 clinics across the country now serve about 17 million people annually. The House-passed version authorized approximately $1 billion more for community health centers. The Senate amendment also included language that reauthorized the Rural Health Care Programs and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), which recruits health care professionals to practice in underserved communities through scholarships and loan repayments. The House passed the legislation after the Senate acted and authorized $131.5 million in initial funding for NHSC, increasing each year to $185.6 million in FY 2012.
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