Nicole V. Baptista
In a letter to the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee, the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) calls on Congress to include expansion of residency training positions in plans for health care reform. AAIM’s letter emphasizes principles from the alliance consensus statement, “Meeting the Nation’s Need for Physician Services: A Response to the Anticipated Physician Shortage,” including the need to strategically increase the number of residency positions for primary care residencies, enhance the attractiveness of primary care careers, and fix the current physician reimbursement system.
The Senate Finance Committee released its final of three papers, “Financing Comprehensive Health Care Reform: Proposed Health System Savings and Revenue Options,” May 20, 2009. The first two policy papers, “Transforming the Health Care Delivery System: Proposals to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Health Care Costs” and “Expanding Health Care Coverage: Proposals to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Americans” were released April 29 and May 14, respectively.
The alliance letter to Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and ranking member Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) specifically addresses the April 29 paper and indicates support for redistribution of unused Medicare-funded residency and fellowship positions. The letter also supports the committee’s proposals to eliminate regulatory barriers to training in a non-hospital site. According to the policy paper, positions unused for three years would be redistributed. In determining which hospitals should receive those slots, preference would be given to programs increasing their primary care and general surgery positions as well as programs caring for underserved populations.
While the policy paper includes proposals to provide bonus payments to physicians practicing primary care and general surgery, the alliance urges the Senate Finance Committee to further address the reimbursement and work conditions of primary care providers as they influence the career decision-making process of medical students.
AAIM will continue to provide information on proposals for health care reform and any efforts by the association to provide feedback on this important topic.