October 9, 2018

What You Need to Know

On September 27, osteopathic medical school deans, educators, and students came from all over the country to Washington, DC to participate in AACOM’s 2018 COM DAY on Capitol Hill. Advocates raised their voices in meetings and online during our Virtual Hill Day to let lawmakers know why protecting federal programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Grad PLUS, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education provides critical support for the future physician workforce and the health of our nation’s patients. We are grateful to our advocates for their strong dedication and encourage everyone in the osteopathic medical education (OME) community to join them in being a driving force for federal policies that invest in the future physician workforce.

Pamela Murphy
Senior Vice President of Government Relations

On The Hill

FY19 Appropriations Update

On September 28, President Trump signed the bipartisan Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (PL 115 -245), which funds the U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related agencies. This legislation also provides fiscal year (FY) 2019 funding for several other agencies through Friday, December 7, avoiding a federal government shutdown.

The Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) spending law will increase the LHHS budget by $1 billion in comparison to the current year’s funding and provide $10.7 billion more than the Administration’s FY19 funding request across agencies. In addition, many programs critical to OME received increased funding or were preserved, including an additional $102 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and a $4 million increase for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality over FY18 levels. This marks the first time that the LHHS bill has been enacted by the deadline since 1996. Learn more.

Congress Passes Comprehensive Opioid Package

Last week, the House and the Senate passed H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act. This follows the House and Senate conferees’ agreement, solidified the prior week, on the comprehensive opioid package. The legislation includes Medicaid, Medicare, and public health reforms to combat the opioid crisis through recovery initiatives, research grants for pain management, and prevention improvement. Included in the bill is language similar to AACOM-endorsed legislation, H.R. 5102, the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018, which will create loan forgiveness opportunities for health care professionals who work in substance use disorder roles in communities with the highest number of opioid deaths. This legislation will also allow for National Health Service Corps (NHSC) professionals to provide mental and behavioral health services at schools and community centers and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance to hospitals on alternatives to opioids for pain management. This legislation has been sent to the White House and is expected to be signed into law shortly.

Kavanaugh Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice

On Saturday, October 6, the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the President’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, locking in a solid conservative majority on the court. He was promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy—the court's longtime swing vote, whom he will replace—in a private ceremony. The road to confirmation was heavily contentious. Judge Kavanaugh was accused of attempted sexual assault, and as a result, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an additional hearing to hear testimony from one of his accusers, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Following her testimony, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) voted to advance the nomination to the full Senate floor with the request that the White House ask the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct. In the procedural, or cloture, vote on Friday, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the lone Republican to oppose Kavanaugh's nomination. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was the only Democrat to break from his party and vote with the Republicans to confirm Judge Kavanaugh.

Advocacy

#COMDAY18: OME Community and Health Professions Advocates Share Their Stories with Congress

Left: UP-KYCOM Dean Dana C. Shaffer, DO, and students meet with U.S. Representative Hal Rogers (R-KY). Right: ED to MED student advocates take Virtual Hill Day selfies in support of the future health care workforce.

We sincerely thank everyone who took part in COM Day on Capitol Hill this year, as well as the dedicated and passionate individuals and ED to MED national partners who shared their stories online as part of Virtual Hill Day! Thanks to your advocacy, our message was heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill. View highlights from #COMDAY18.

Administration and Federal Agencies

AACOM Sends Letter to DHS on Proposed Fee Adjustments to Student Visas

AACOM recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding its proposed rule that would adjust fees for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The proposed fees would increase for foreign students applying for F, M, and J Visas, and all institutions that accept these students. AACOM expressed concerns that the proposed fees will adversely impact member institutions and students and create unnecessary barriers to attracting highly skilled, qualified individuals from the international community. The final rule is expected later this fall.

Save the Date for AACOM/NHSC Webinar

Save the Date: Thursday, October 25, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET, for a webinar hosted by AACOM and the NHSC on the Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP). The NHSC expects to open the application cycle for the S2S LRP later this month. Webinar participants will have the unique opportunity to talk with NHSC staff to learn more about program requirements, benefits, and other in-depth information. Additional details are forthcoming.

Delay Expected for USDE GE and BDR Final Rules

According to a recent report, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is expected to miss the November 1 deadline to publish final rules for the gainful employment (GE) and borrower defense to repayment (BDR) regulation packages that would enable the policies to take effect July 1, 2019. The USDE published proposed rules for both BDR and GE late this summer. The reason for the BDR delay is attributed to the more than 38,000 public comments received, which include those submitted by AACOM. Additionally, the report explains that due to the expiration of an information-sharing agreement between the USDE and the Social Security Administration, the USDE was unable to collect important data needed for the GE rule, on which AACOM has also provided comments. AACOM is seeking clarification from the USDE and will provide updates throughout this process.

2019-2020 FAFSA Application and Mobile App Now Available

On October 1, the USDE opened the application process for students to complete the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for federal financial aid to support their education. Additionally, to enhance access and create a more user-friendly experience for students, its Federal Student Aid Office has launched a mobile app for both iOS and Android users. The FAFSA application is open through June 30, 2020, although it is recommended that users complete the form as soon as possible. Prior to completing the form, it is important to gather information in advance, and the USDE has prepared several tips to help guide students through the process. Learn more.

USDE Selects Finalists for Student Loan Servicer Competition

CMS Launches eMedicare Initiative

In anticipation of the October 15 open enrollment period, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the eMedicare Initiative, which aims to create a more modern, personalized, and seamless user experience as beneficiaries compare plans and make decisions about their health care. Medicare.gov now includes features such as a mobile out-of-pocket cost calculator to compare both overall costs and prescription drug costs. Users will also have access to a simplified login for the Medicare Plan Finder and the ability to print their Medicare cards online.

Featured Federal Resources and COM Engagement

ATSU-KCOM Awarded NIH Academic Research Enhancement Grant: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced its full funding of an A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) three-year study through its Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 grant). The study’s principal investigator, Yohei Norimatsu, PhD, assistant professor, physiology, will research design improvements and pharmacological therapies for cystic fibrosis, secretory diarrhea, schizophrenia, and drug addiction through atomic-level modeling of protein drug targets. Dr. Norimatsu is the second ATSU researcher to earn an NIH R15 research grant within the past year, which is a first in ATSU history. Learn more.

OU-HCOM Awarded Rural Residency Planning and Development Technical Assistance Award: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine has been awarded the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Technical Assistance cooperative agreement administered by the HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy in collaboration with HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce. The agreement will be led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in partnership with the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho Family Residency Network. These partners will provide technical assistance to future grantees of the RRPD Program anticipated to be funded by HRSA in 2019 to support the creation of new, sustainable residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, and psychiatry.

NYITCOM Students Named to National Political Action Honor Society: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) students from the Long Island (Old Westbury) and NYITCOM at Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, AR) campuses have been named to Omega Beta Iota (OBI), the National Osteopathic Political Action Honor Society. Samantha Gottlieb, academic medicine scholar from the Long Island campus, and Nicole Ebalo, second-year medical student from NYITCOM at A-State, were among the 30 osteopathic medical students selected nationwide for this year’s induction. OBI was founded in 2007 to emphasize the importance of the work that medical students contribute to the political system. Induction into OBI is an honorary recognition for politically active medical students and professional mentors who demonstrate excellence in health care politics. Learn more.

Participate in HRSA’s Virtual Job Fair: HRSA is hosting a Behavioral Health Virtual Job Fair on Wednesday, October 17 at 6:45 PM ET. Participants will have the unique opportunity to engage with health care providers and receive real-time answers to their employment questions. Register now.

NIA Technology Challenge: The National Institute on Aging recently launched the Improving Care for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Using Technology Challenge, which works to spur the development of technology applications to improve dementia care coordination and/or care navigation, as part of the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act. Applications will be accepted from October 1 through June 30, 2019. For more information, interested applicants may participate in a webinar on October 17 at 2:30 PM ET.

Copyright ©2018 American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. All Rights Reserved.