On Jan. 11, the AAMC sent a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to enact robust fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations for key science, health workforce, and public health programs and reject “harmful and misguided” cuts to Medicare reimbursement for drug administration services in off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPD), which were included in the House-passed Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378) [refer to Washington Highlights, Dec. 15, 2023].
In the letter, the AAMC expressed its appreciation for proposed investments in the health care workforce and safety net, including the proposed elimination of scheduled cuts to the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program, while urging lawmakers not to finance temporary policy initiatives with permanent Medicare cuts. In addition, the letter urged leadership to provide the highest possible funding levels for key federal programs, including the National Institutes of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration Title VII and Title VIII workforce development programs, while rejecting “problematic policy provisions that would impose arbitrary restrictions on efforts to advance research, education, public health, and health care.” The letter also encouraged the leaders to extend funding and authorizations for health workforce and public health programs scheduled to lapse by Jan. 19.