The AHA June 24 submitted comments to the Senate Finance Committee’s Bipartisan Medicare Graduate Medical Education Working Group, which is developing legislation to address physician shortages. The AHA urged the working group to substantially increase the number of Medicare-funded residency slots, which have been essentially frozen since 1997. AHA expressed support for several legislative proposals that would increase the number of physicians working in rural and underserved communities and enhance opportunities for rural hospitals to train physicians. Additionally, AHA urged the working group to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans provide appropriate direct GME payments to hospitals. 

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA highlighted the importance of community health workers during the Common Health Coalition’s inaugural Common Health Challenge held Dec. 9. “…
Headline
In this conversation, Margo Edmunds, director of the AcademyHealth Center on Diversity, Inclusion and Minority Engagement, discusses the benefits its Roadmap…
Chairperson's File
In October 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decreed that Thanksgiving be held across the U.S. to “heal the wounds of the nation…
Headline
After noticing widespread loneliness among rural hospital staff, Margo Karsten, Banner Health Western Region president and AHA Policy Board member, was…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 21 announced the allocation of 200 new Medicare-funded residency slots to more than 100 teaching…
Headline
The AHA and dozens of other organizations Nov. 20 urged House and Senate leaders to include bipartisan workforce legislation in the end-of-year spending…