The AAMC submitted a response on Friday to Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) request for information (RFI) entitled "Health Coverage That Works for Everyone," (PDF), urging Congress to prioritize reforms that expand access to comprehensive, affordable coverage while protecting academic health systems and teaching hospitals.
In its response, the AAMC called on Congress to restore the enhanced premium tax credits that expired at the end of 2025, reverse harmful provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21) that restrict Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollment and eligibility, and reinstate network adequacy and Essential Community Provider participation standards rolled back by recent Trump administration rulemaking. The AAMC also urged lawmakers to oppose the expansion of substandard coverage options, including non-network plans, catastrophic plans, and short-term limited-duration insurance, that leave patients vulnerable to unexpected costs and inadequate access to care. Additionally, the AAMC raised concerns about misleading Medicare Advantage marketing practices and called for reforms to prior authorization, medical loss ratio reporting, and insurer accountability.
The AAMC emphasized that academic health systems and teaching hospitals, which serve as critical safety-net providers and bear disproportionate uncompensated care costs, are under increasing financial strain from coverage losses and inadequate reimbursement. The AAMC noted that any coverage expansion must ensure payment rates that reflect the added costs these institutions bear in support of their education, research, and patient care missions.