AAMC testifies at Senate hearing
on value-based purchasing
Gary Gottlieb, M.D., president of Brigham and Women's Hospital,
represented the AAMC at a March 6 Senate Finance Committee hearing
on value-based purchasing, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services' (CMS) proposed plan to link payments more directly to
the quality and efficiency of care. Gottlieb's testimony
expressed overall support for the concept, while highlighting the
role of teaching hospitals and some challenges they will face if
the plan moves forward.
Congressional report details
financial impact of Medicaid rules
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has released
a report
detailing the state-by-state impact of the Bush administration's
recently issued Medicaid rules. The report includes data related
to the Medicaid GME proposed rule and IGT final rule. According
to the data, which was provided by Medicaid directors in 43 states
and the District of Columbia, the administration significantly underestimated
the fiscal impact of the regulatory changes. While the CMS projected
that the rules will reduce federal Medicaid support by $15 billion
over five years, the committee report estimates a nearly $50 billion
loss over five years.
AAMC asks Congress to reinstate debt-to-income
ratio for student loan repayment
The AAMC and American Medical Association (AMA) sent a joint letter
March 7 to congressional conferees who are overseeing the reauthorization
of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The letter comes in response
to the Department of Education's decision to eliminate the debt-to-income
ratio pathway of the economic hardship deferment of student loan
payments. The letter urges lawmakers to "reinstate the debt-to-income
ratio … to assist medical residents during this crucial time
in their training."
Information: Matthew Shick, AAMC Governmental Relations, 202.862.6116,
mshick@aamc.org
Biosecurity board discusses outreach
to the research community
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) met
recently to consider, among other topics, outreach activities to
heighten awareness and educate scientists about "dual use"
research, or biological research that could be used by others to
harm society. Representatives from scientific societies and academic
associations, including the AAMC, provided an overview on their
organizations and activities focused on this issue, or how they
might assist such outreach.
Information: Stephen Heinig, AAMC Biomedical and Health Sciences
Research, 202.828.0488, sheinig@aamc.org
AHRQ report: health care quality gains outpaced
by spending
The quality of health care in the United States improved by an
average of 2.3 percent between 1994 and 2005, but that rate is slowing,
according to two annual reports
released last week by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report and 2007 National Healthcare
Disparities Report show that the rate of quality improvement is
lower than the rate of health care spending; according to the CMS,
health care expenditures rose by an average of 6.7 percent over
the same period.
RWJF forms commission to improve
health
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has formed the Commission
to Build a Healthier America, which will investigate how factors
outside the health care system-such as education, environment, income,
and housing-shape and affect personal behavioral choices. The commission
will identify non-medical strategies to improve health. The commission
is co-chaired by former CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D.,
Ph.D., and former Office of Management and Budget Director Alice
Rivlin, Ph.D.
AMERSA seeks abstracts on substance abuse
education and research
The Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance
Abuse (AMERSA) is seeking abstract submissions of recent substance
abuse research and substance abuse education innovations to be presented
at the association's annual conference this fall. Abstracts addressing
cross-cultural issues, diversity, hard-to-reach populations, or
clinical practice differences, either local or international, are
encouraged. Submissions
will be accepted into one of three categories: scientific research
presentation, program and curricula evaluation, and clinical case
presentation. Submissions are due May 15.
Results available from genome-wide
Parkinson's study
Data from one of the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS),
which focused on Parkinson's disease and was funded in part by The
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, is now being
made available to researchers through the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). NIH institutes hope to expedite research by making
previously unavailable GWAS data sets publicly available to the
research community.
