Physicians and Lawmakers Promote Workforce Legislation April 18, 2013 Advocacy, CMA, Politics and Medicine AB 565, physician workforce, AB 1176, Richard Pan, Steve Thompson Loan Repayment Program 0 A coalition of physicians, legislators, medical students, and residents gathered on the steps of the Capitol to support several key pieces of legislation that will address California's mounting issues regarding its physician workforce during CMA Lobby Day. California’s health care industry is expected to see an enormous surge in demand beginning in 2014, when the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins the process of extending coverage to what many analysts are projecting could be more than 5 million currently uninsured residents. To compound this problem, a large number of these currently uninsured residents live in areas of the state already grappling with long-standing physician shortages. Several members of the state Legislature have introduced bills dealing to the various stages of physician training and development in California. The first step, lawmakers agreed, was to ensure that California was taking the necessary measures to educate its future physicians, a goal which Senator Richard Roth (D – Riverside) and Assembly member Jose Medina (D – Riverside) believe would be furthered by funding the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. The pair, which has each authored a bill to allocate $15 million annually in state funds to the operation and expansion of the UC Riverside School of Medicine, agreed that the expansion of coverage called for under the ACA was a tremendous first step toward health care reform in California, but that more needed to be done, especially in regions struggling with existing physician shortages. Other members of the Legislature have directed their attention toward California’s lack of residency slots, a problem which they claims sends California-educated physicians off to neighboring states, while the problem of access to care at home grows worse. To remedy this issue, Assembly members Raul Bocanegra (D – Pacoima) and Rob Bonta (D – Alameda) have authored AB 1176, which would help fund and expand residency programs in California by placing a small fee on the state’s health plans. Both Bocanegra and Bonta noted that an overwhelming majority of residents ultimately lay down roots in the state where they complete their residency training, and that California is doing itself a disservice by forcing California-educated physicians to seek programs in other states. The financial burdens of a medical education also pose an enormous challenge to California’s students, speakers said, adding that the average medical student in California graduates with roughly $150,000-$160,000 in debt. To relieve some of this burden, Assembly member Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) has authored AB 565, which would expand and strengthen the Steve Thompson Loan Repayment Program, which offers repayment assistance to physicians practicing in medically underserved areas of the state. Together these bills will ensure that California’s physicians can continue to lead a health care model that will fully and adequately serve the state’s population. AB 1176 passed with a 10-5 vote and AB 565 passed with unanimous support in Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday afternoon. Comments are closed.
