The AAMC Dec. 4 led 80 organizations in signing a letter of support for the Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 (S. 2892), which was introduced by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Nov. 20 [see Washington Highlights, Nov. 22].
The letter thanks the Senators for introducing the bipartisan legislation, which would provide 1,000 graduate medical education slots over five years in hospitals that have, or are in the process of establishing, accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine.
The letter states that the “Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 is a targeted and important step that Congress must take to help ensure a robust physician workforce that can deliver high-quality care to those suffering from substance use disorders.”
The House counterpart (H.R. 3414) was introduced on May 1 by Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) [see Washington Highlights, May 3]. The AAMC led a sign-on letter of support ahead of markup and H.R. 3414 was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee on June 26 [see Washington Highlights, June 28].