The AAMC sent a letter to President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress on April 20 that detailed priorities that should be included in infrastructure legislation in the areas of research, health care workforce, pandemic and public health preparedness, and inclusive data to address health inequities. The letter built upon an April 1 press statement from the AAMC that urged health care infrastructure investments in response to President Biden’s American Jobs Plan [refer to Washington Highlights, April 2].
The letter also urged support for investing in health care physical infrastructure, telehealth, and health care data capacity. It noted that these priorities build upon lessons learned from academic medicine’s critical role on the front lines of the pandemic and are critical to improve the health of all and ensure we are prepared for future health challenges.
Specifically, the letter requested “research recovery support to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the research workforce and broader enterprise; increasing investments in the physician workforce; strengthening our public health and health care infrastructure based on lessons learned from the current COVID-19 response to better prepare for future pandemics; and ensuring standardized, valid, inclusive data collection to address pervasive health inequities laid bare by the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on communities of color.” It highlighted the importance of these critical investments in health care infrastructure as the nation continues to battle the pandemic and said that the AAMC looks forward to working with the president and Congress to advance legislation that will “build back and strengthen the nation’s economy, health, and well-being.”
During the release of the American Jobs Plan on March 31, President Biden announced that a second set of proposed infrastructure investments — the American Families Plan — will be unveiled in the coming weeks. It is expected that the president will provide more details at his joint address to Congress on April 28, although it is unclear if the administration’s rumored health care investment proposals will be part of this plan.