AHA responds to Senate Finance Committee Working Group’s GME proposal 

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.