The AAMC has endorsed the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, which would provide student loan forgiveness to health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AAMC supported similar legislation that was introduced in the 116th Congress [see Washington Highlights, May 8, 2020].
The bill, introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on April 8, would establish a program within the Departments of Education and Treasury that would forgive all public and private graduate student loans, including loans administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, for health care workers who have made significant contributions to patient care, medical research, and testing during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Upon introduction, Rep. Maloney noted, “[F]rontline healthcare workers exposed themselves and risked their health – and their families’ health – every single day in order to save lives. … These healthcare workers should not have to worry about their financial stability and be struggling to pay down their debt while fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Frontline health care workers eligible to apply for this forgiveness would include doctors, residents, interns, fellows, medical researchers, lab workers, and other health care professionals who are responding to COVID-19.