April 2000 • Volume 6 • Number 4
Congress addresses NHSC, other health issues; court rules on Medicare suit
Here are some federal issues that may affect the specialty:
NHSC. The National Health Service Corps is up for its 10-year reauthorization. Senators and representatives haven't paid much attention to the corps in 10 years and probably don't recall its importance.
That's where you come in.
If you were in the corps or work with the underserved, tell your lawmakers how NHSC does or could improve care for their constituents. Let your lawmakers know NHSC is a training ground for professionals who often continue their careers in service to minority and disadvantaged populations.
Note: The Bureau for Primary Care estimates a current need for 20,000 primary care clinicians nationwide, skilled in medicine, dentistry and mental health. In 1999, the corps had 2,349 clinicians serving in underserved areas -- meaning the current corps is equipped to meet only 12 percent of the health care access needs of the nation.
Managed care bills. House and Senate conferees, at press time, were debating provisions in widely divergent bills from the two chambers. The Academy supports the strong provisions in the House bill, the Bipartisan Consensus Managed Care Improvement Act, instead of the limited provisions passed by the Senate as the Patients' Bill of Rights.
Appropriations. The Academy is lobbying members of Congress to increase funding for immunizations, Title VII family practice training programs, rural health programs, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research).
IHS. The Academy has joined Friends of Indian Health, a coalition that supports reauthorization of and funding for the Indian Health Service.
Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court decided Feb. 29 that challenges to Medicare Part A regulations must complete Medicare's lengthy review process before culminating in lawsuits.
In a 5-4 decision, the court sided with the Department of Health and Human Services and against a nursing home association that sued HHS over its regulations. The Academy had signed an amicus brief supporting the association.
Here's the rub: The court's decision restricts the role of associations, including medical societies, in suing on behalf of their members.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2000 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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