AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, issued the following statement on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee markup that included legislation that would have potential significant impacts on the nation’s health workforce, as well as academic health systems, teaching hospitals, and medical schools:
“The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs are foundational to addressing the nation’s growing health care provider shortages and improving access to care for patients. The AAMC thanks the Senate HELP Committee for advancing the EMPOWER for Health Act (S. 4110) and the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 1874). The AAMC and 73 other health care organizations agree that reauthorizing these vital health care workforce development programs is a critical step toward ensuring patients everywhere have access to timely, high-quality care.
The HRSA Title VII and VIII programs strengthen the health care workforce by supporting the recruitment, retention, and training of physicians and other health care providers. This includes educating current and future providers — including those in rural and underserved communities — through targeted scholarships, grants, and loan programs. As the nation’s health care needs continue to grow and evolve, it is essential that Congress invest in the future physician workforce to meet those demands.
We urge both the House and Senate to swiftly advance the EMPOWER for Health Act (S. 4110) and the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S. 1874).
The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act (S. 2355) was also passed by the Senate HELP Committee today, and the AAMC is concerned that it would create significant operational challenges for academic health systems and teaching hospitals without necessarily improving access to care or affordability for patients. The AAMC supports transparency efforts that provide actionable information to patients, and appreciates that this bill reflects some stakeholder feedback. Unfortunately, the bill passed by the Committee today misses that mark and would impose significant administrative burden on our member institutions. We look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to ensure the final legislation achieves its goals in a way that is workable for hospitals and beneficial for patients.”