About Medical Student Insider
Medical Student Insider (MSI) is a monthly column written by the AMA Government Relations Advocacy Fellow (GRAF). One Fellow is selected each spring to work in Washington, D.C., as a full-time paid member of the AMA's federal advocacy team for one year. The Fellow is responsible for working with the AMA's federal advocacy team to advance the Association's legislative agenda and policies on behalf of physicians, patients and medical students.
Medical Student Insider - October 2008
In this issue of MSI:
It has been a while since my last Medical Student Insider. I spent much of the past two months visiting medical schools around the country helping dedicated recruiters sign up new medical student members. I feel fortunate to have met so many great student leaders at schools from Nevada to New York, Georgia to Wisconsin. The Succeeding in Medical School (SIMS) program was a great success this year, exposing our American Medical Association to thousands of medical students and signing up hundreds of new members. This was my first time visiting many of these medical schools, and it was refreshing to remember just how much first- and second-year students have in common, regardless of where they attend school.
But we have much more in common than being medical students and members of the American Medical Association. In less than five weeks, we will elect the 111th Congress and a new President of the United States. As we all know, our health care system is not perfect—not for patients, not for physicians, and not for medical students. This coming year offers one of the greatest opportunities of our lifetime to shape the future of our profession and health care for all Americans. We are the foundation of the health care system for the next generation, and this election offers us the opportunity to shape a system in which we can all be proud to play a role. This can be a system in which every patient receives the care he or she needs and deserves, one in which all medical students can afford to attend medical school and choose their specialties without fear of debt.
To be a part of this conversation, though, we all have to do a few things, none of which requires you to spend any of your cash (which is likely scarcer these days):
Register to vote
If you are not already registered to vote, you have only a few days left in most states. Early voting has already started in many states, so there is no better time to register. Register to vote now: many states’ deadlines are this week or next.
Become an expert on the issues
Our AMA asked the presidential candidates a set of ten questions about their health care reform proposals, and has reprinted their responses (PDF, 64KB) in full. If you are interested in the candidates’ other positions, visit their Web sites or review the AMPAC election guide:
Be sure to also check out the congressional elections in your own district. All 435 members of the House of Representatives are up for reelection this year, and 35 Senators are up for reelection (including special elections in Wyoming and Mississippi).
Volunteer
Volunteer for a presidential candidate, a congressional candidate, a mayor, a state representative. Volunteer for a voting rights group or as a poll worker. Our democracy relies on all of us. With record voter turnouts expected this year, it is only more crucial that there are enough volunteers to staff the polls, report discrepancies, and support our voters.
Vote
If you don’t vote, your voice is mute. Our right to vote, to have direct representation, is one of the founding principles of our country. Exercise this right! Register for an absentee ballot, vote early, or go to the polls on Nov. 4, 2008. Because of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), you may even cast a vote on a provisional ballot if there are doubts as to your eligibility. Just go vote!
Prospects for health care reform
As in previous years, numerous bills were introduced in the 110th Congress to expand health insurance coverage. These bills take a variety of approaches to achieve incremental as well as comprehensive coverage expansions. These include:
- H.R.2626 - Comprehensive Coverage and Reform Enhancement Act of 2007 (Price, R-GA)
- H.R.6110 - The Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2008 (Ryan, R-WI)
- S.1019 - The Universal Health Care Choice and Access Act (Coburn, R-OK);
- S.2795 - The SHOP Act (Durbin, D-IL; Snowe, R-ME; Lincoln, D-AR; Coleman, R-MN)
- S.334 - The Healthy Americans Act (Wyden, D-OR; Bennett, R-UT)
In addition, reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was the focus of congressional action during 2007. The program’s authorization expires at the end of March 2009 and will be a major focus of activity early in the 111th Congress.
With the exception of passing an extension of SCHIP, few bills have received floor votes or been enacted into law. However, numerous hearings have been held during the 110th Congress on health system reform issues.
The AMA’s Voice for the Uninsured Campaign had a strong presence in the host cities of the presidential conventions. In Denver and Minneapolis, ads were placed in city airports, on rail transportation, buses, and billboards seen by motorists headed toward the convention centers, and in other downtown locations. In addition, advertisements are running in national and medical trade publications including Time, Newsweek, Modern Health care, and Medical Economics, and on news sites including CNN.com, AOL.com, FoxNews.com, NYTimes.com, and USAToday.com.
Given high levels of both public and congressional interest in reforming the current health care system, it is anticipated that health care reform and expanding coverage for the uninsured will be a focus of activity in the 111th Congress. While the outcome of any legislative proposal will depend largely on who wins the presidential race and on the makeup of Congress, the AMA will be actively engaged in the debate.
Higher Education Act
Although I mentioned the Higher Education Act (HEA) in my last Medical Student Insider, I thought it might be important to add some detail. On July 31, 2008, Congress passed the first major overhaul of the HEA after months of negotiations. H.R.4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, passed with majority votes in both the House (380-49) and the Senate (83-8). The HEA Reauthorization (P.L. 110-315) was signed into law on Aug. 14, 2008. The HEA has been reauthorized for five years. The HEA was last reauthorized in 1998, had expired in 2003, and was temporarily extended since then.
The AMA advocated for passage of the HEA and the following provisions, which:
- increase transparency in college lending programs,
- break financial ties between lenders and college financial aid offices,
- restrict lender gifting practices,
- require textbook publishers to unbundle materials (such as workbooks and CDs),
- simplify FAFSA, and
- increase Pell grants from $4,800 to $6,000 in 2009 and $8,000 in 2014
The HEA also established a loan forgiveness program for service in areas of national need, which includes certain medical specialists and mental health professionals. Finally, the new law requires two studies of interest. The GAO will examine American students receiving federal financial aid to attend graduate medical schools located outside of the United States. Additionally, the Secretary will consult with the Office of Management and Budget, an organization with expertise in the field of public service, and other interested parties to examine how student loan debt levels impact the decisions of graduates entering public service careers.
Content provided by: Medical Student Section