AAMC Urges Congress to Enact Robust FY25 Appropriations, Reject Hospital Cuts

The AAMC sent a Nov. 12 letter(PDF) urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to enact robust fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations for key science, health workforce, and public health programs by the end of the calendar year; "reject harmful cuts" to Medicare reimbursement for drug administration services in off-campus hospital outpatient departments; and support the health care safety net and physician workforce.

In the letter, the AAMC called on Congress to protect crucial programs, including the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital program and 340B Drug Pricing Program, which support AAMC-member institutions' ability to care for low-income and underserved patients and communities. In addition, the letter urged leadership to mitigate cuts to physician payment and provide the highest possible funding levels for key federal programs, including the National Institutes of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration Title VII and Title VIII workforce development programs, and for leadership to "avoid problematic policy provisions that would impose arbitrary restrictions on efforts to advance research, education, public health, and health care." The letter also encouraged the leaders to extend funding and authorizations for health workforce, public health, and telehealth programs scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.