AAPI Signs Coalition Letter Regarding GME Slots

Dec 15, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dino Teppara, Esq.
AAPI Director of Legislative Affairs
Cell: (803) 467-2130
legislativeaffairs@aapiusa.net

Washington, D.C. – Today, AAPI released the following statement after signing onto a coalition letter sent to all U.S. Senators in support of an amendment introduced to the health care reform bill that would add 15,000 residency slots to the current system.

“On behalf of AAPI, we applaud these United States Senators for introducing this vital amendment, which will add 15,000 residency slots over the next ten years producing 40,000 new physicians,” said AAPI President Dr. Vinod K. Shah. “This important amendment will provide Indian American physicians and qualified physicians of Indian origin the opportunity to receive world-class medical training and deliver quality health care to millions of patients in the years ahead. We urge AAPI members and the Indian American community to back this important endeavor,” concluded Dr. Shah.

Due to provisions passed in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, no additional residency slots have been created in more than 12 years, resulting in a physician shortage, which is being exacerbated by the retirement of “baby boomers” and an unchanging physician population. As Medicare funds Graduate Medical Education (GME) positions, only Congress can change the total amount of residency slots, which currently stands at approximately 25,000.

Senate Amendment 2909 was filed on December 4, 2009 by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL); U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY); U.S. Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA); U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); and U.S. Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT). Additionally, the following U.S. Senators are cosponsors of Senate Amendment 2909:

U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY)
U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)
U.S. Senator Paul G. Kirk, Jr. (D-MA)
U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)

The following organizations signed the coalition letter:

Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
American College of Physicians
American College of Surgeons
American Medical Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine
Medical Group Management Association

The text of the letter is as follows:

December 14, 2009
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The undersigned organizations, representing the nation’s physicians and medical education programs, request your support for Senate Amendment 2909 offered to the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (H.R. 3590). This important amendment would increase the number of graduate medical education positions by 15 percent.

As a result of provisions included in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, our nation’s physician training capacity has been static since 1997. The BBA established limitations on the number of residency training positions, with little opportunity for increasing capacity. There is now mounting evidence that our nation faces a significant shortage of physicians in primary care, general surgery, as
well as many specialties.

Our population is both increasing and aging. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the population will exceed 350 million people by 2025 and the number of Medicare beneficiaries will almost double during this same time period. Additionally, the nation’s physician workforce resembles the broader society. Presently, more than one-third of all practicing physicians are over the age of 55, meaning that they are likely to retire in the next two decades. These events will exacerbate the current
acknowledged physician shortage.

The Senate is striving to approve legislation that would expand health care coverage to millions of individuals presently uninsured and improve the quality of coverage for millions more. Unfortunately, coverage does not equal access. We must educate and train a cadre of physicians capable of meeting the health care needs of our growing and aging population, with priority given to those specialties and subspecialties--including primary care and general surgery-- that are facing shortages and are most needed.

Senate Amendment 2909 is a necessary step towards ensuring the future physician workforce. We urge you to signify your support by becoming a cosponsor and by supporting the amendment when considered by the Senate.

To view a pdf of the letter please click here.

Please join AAPI on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Association-of-Physicians-of-Indian-Origin-AAPI/170800907082


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