AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, issued the following statement prior to the U.S. House of Representatives’ consideration of the Senate-amended budget resolution:
“As the House considers the amended fiscal year 2025 budget resolution passed by the Senate last week, we once again urge lawmakers to protect access to care for millions of hard-working Americans by rejecting policies that could lead to significant cuts to the Medicaid program and limit access to student financial aid for aspiring physicians.
We continue to be concerned that the budget resolution’s reconciliation instructions would result in unsustainable cuts to federal health programs, including both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, by requiring at least $880 billion in savings over the 10-year budget window from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Cuts of this magnitude would jeopardize both access to care for millions of Medicaid patients and Medicare beneficiaries by limiting the ability of providers—including the nation’s teaching health systems and hospitals, medical schools, and their affiliated physician faculty practice plans—to care for them.
Instead, we hope policymakers will work together to invest in the health of all people by upholding the federal government’s financial commitment to federal health care programs, ensuring sufficient reimbursement for providers, and maintaining targeted financial support for safety-net providers. Additionally, threats to federal student financial aid programs that make medical school more accessible could undermine the future physician workforce, and ultimately, the provision of high-quality care in all communities.
The nation’s teaching health systems and hospitals, medical schools, and faculty practices are dedicated to improving the health of the American people, and federal support is critical to achieve this mission. Ensuring access to health care is a responsibility we all share. The AAMC and our members stand ready to work with Congress to develop policies that maintain access to health care in rural and urban communities across the country.”