Congress Approves Health
Care Safety Net Bill; Includes Reauthorization of CHCs, NHSC
October 18, 2002-The House and Senate Oct. 16 approved
legislation (S.
1533) that reauthorizes the Community Health Centers (CHC)
and National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs, as well
as providing statutory authority for the Community Access
Program (CAP). The President is expected to sign it . S. 1533
also includes provisions to extend the authorization of the
Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) until Sept.
30, 2003. The final version is a compromise negotiated between
the original House-passed bill (H.R.
3450) and the original Senate-passed bill (S. 1533).
The compromise bill provides for a smaller CAP than called
for in the Senate-passed version, allocating "such sums
as necessary" to fund the program and limiting the number
of grants that can be awarded under the program to 35 in each
year. Within the NHSC provisions, the compromise bill adopts
provisions to automatically designate CHCs and rural health
clinics as eligible for NHSC placements. The bill also creates
a pilot program to expand the NHSC loan repayment program
to chiropractors and pharmacists.
Information:
Jonathan Fishburn, Director, Research, Education and Veterans' Legislative Affairs
AAMC Government Relations
jfishburn@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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