Spending Bill Advances OME Priorities

Last night, December 20, 2022, the House and Senate unveiled H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, a 4,000+ page bill to fund the government for fiscal year (FY) 2023. While a more comprehensive analysis of the omnibus spending bill will be coming in the new year, AACOM had several things to celebrate.

• The Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) accompanying the FY23 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act included new language highlighting the need for more research on the impact of OMT to treat veteran pain. AACOM and our colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) lobbied hard for this language and were pleased to see it in the final conference report.
• Additionally, given the potential of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to treat back and other pain, the Department is directed to track utilization of OMT among veterans seeking care and provide a report to the Committees within 120 days of enactment of this Act on the use of OMT. The Department is further urged to develop a mechanism to track outcomes of this treatment. (JES, page 46)
• The JES for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHSE) Appropriations Act incorporated by reference language from the LHHSE House Report 117-403 (page 154) that acknowledged the benefits of osteopathic research and requested a status update from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on funding and representation for COMs. This language was an extension of congressional intent provided in the FY22 LHHSE report and another legislative priority for AACOM and our COMs.
• Osteopathic Medical Schools.—The Committee recognizes that increased access to research funding for the osteopathic profession will bolster NIH’s capacity to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, address health disparities in rural and medically-underserved populations, and advance research in primary care, prevention, and treatment. The Committee requests an update on the current status of NIH funding to colleges of osteopathic medicine and representation of doctors of osteopathic medicine on NIH National Advisory Councils and standing study sections in the fiscal year 2024 Congressional Justification.
• The omnibus included 200 new psychiatry residency positions to address workforce shortages in behavioral and mental health. Congress allocated 10 percent for hospitals in rural areas, operating above the cap and in states with a new medical school, branch campus or additional location. AACOM advocated for up to 1,000 new slots but is pleased to see the increase.