The Fight for Healthcare Justice Starts Now
CODE BLUE NEWS ALERT
Bill to Expand Health Care Workforce Introduced
As AMSA celebrates its annual National Primary Care Week, we are excited to announce that AMSA has formally endorsed Senator Sanders and Jeff Merkley’s Health Care Workforce Expansion Act, which seeks to address our looming physician shortage.Â
“This bill is about investing in the future of health care in America,” Sanders said.
“It is about making sure that no matter where you live — whether it’s a big city
or a small town — you can see a doctor, get dental care and
have access to a nurse when you need one.”
AMSA has long been a voice calling for a concerted response to this crisis. We recognize that we are situated within a country with the material means to foster a diverse physician workforce that is poised to meet the healthcare needs of all communities, especially communities historically underserved by our health care system. In order to bring forth this reality for America’s health care system, bipartisan and commonsense solutions to this crisis must be advanced.
Most recent data from the AAMC shows that the nation will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. These shortages are especially pronounced in primary care specialties, with projections estimating a shortage of up to 19,900 primary care physicians.
Senator Sanders’ Health Care Workforce Expansion Act seeks to address the physician shortage crisis by:
- Making nonprofit medical school tuition free for students who commit to practicing primary care for at least 10 years
- Adding more than 50,000 new slots for the Medicare Graduate Medical Education program, dedicating 30% to primary care and 15% to psychiatry residencies
- Expanding the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, adding 15,000 new community-based primary care residency positions; and
- Providing $20,000 relocation grants to doctors, dentists and nurses who agree to practice in rural communities.
Read the bill text here
Read a summary of the bill here
Read News Release: Sanders, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Make Medical, Dental and Nursing Schools Tuition Free and Expand the Health Care Workforce
The legislation is endorsed by a broad coalition of health care and labor organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing; American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine; American Academy of Family Physicians; American Association of Teaching Health Centers; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Institute of Dental Public Health; American Medical Student Association; American Nurses Association; AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services; Association of Clinicians for the Underserved; Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare and the National Rural Health Association.
CODE BLUE NEWS ALERT
U.S. Federal Government Shutdown Until Further Notice
Due to Congressional inaction to pass a new federal budget which protects affordable healthcare, a government shutdown has been triggered.
AMSA believes that health care is a human right, not a luxury.
As future physicians, we must raise our voices.
The time to speak out is now.
What to Know about Cuts to Health Care
- In July, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1), threatening the insurance status of 10 million people across the nation in favor of tax breaks for billionaires.
- A government shut down has been triggered by continued inaction to protect access to care. Without the renewal of premium tax credits, an additional 4 million could lose their coverage.
What is the Impact of the Shutdown
While the impact of this government shut down is in flux, what we know right now is that:
- More than 32,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are set to be furloughed
- CDC communications to the public will be interrupted
- Policy development and regulatory work will largely pause
- Grant review meetings will be canceled and new awards will not be issued by the NIH
- Medical care and critical care at the VA will continue
What can you do?
- Call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121 and demand that they stand up to protect access to healthcare, address rising healthcare costs, and extend premium tax credits now
- Find YOUR U.S. Senators & House Representative HERE
- Call anytime 24/7 – Tell them we can afford to prioritize health care over tax breaks for billionaires. Work together to pass a budget that ensures access to health care coverage, extends the ACA premium tax credits, and restores Medicaid funding.
- Sign up for updates and opportunities to share your stories about the dangers of cuts to care with Code Blue
AMSA Advocacy Tips & Resources
Stay Informed. Stay Ready. Take Action.
© 2022, American Medical Student Association, McLean, VA