AACOM-endorsed THCGME and NHSC Program Extensions Approved by House Energy and Commerce Committee
Published May 30, 2023
By AACOM Government Relations
Advocacy Appropriations Federal Policy GME GME Funding Healthcare Workforce OME Advocate
On May 24, 2023, the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee unanimously approved H.R. 3561, the Promoting Access to Treatments and Increasing Extremely Needed Transparency (PATIENT) Act of 2023.
AACOM aggressively advocated for the PATIENT Act, which authorizes a historic six-year extension for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program, set to expire on September 30, 2023. We worked with the Teaching Health Center Coalition to include an amendment that would allow the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to use up to $90 million in unobligated funds to ensure the THCGME per resident funding allocation does not decrease in fiscal years (FYs) 2024 and 2025. The bill raises THCGME funding by $50 million every two years through FY29, nearly doubling overall THCGME funding from the current authorized level of $126.5 million.
The PATIENT Act also included two-year funding extensions for Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps. The PATIENT Act now advances to the House floor for consideration and potential Senate action.
Read AACOM’s summary of the E&C markup and urge Congress to support the PATIENT Act in the AACOM Action Center.