Congressman Urges Funding Increase for Healthcare Training

American Dental Association News (05/10/24) Anderson, Olivia

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is calling for more funding for training for dentists and physicians in underserved communities. In a letter to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson, Pallone asked that the allocation for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program increase by $10,000 per resident before July 1. He noted the per resident allocation was set at $150,000 when the program was first established more than 10 years ago, and it has only increased by $10,000 since then. "While this increase is certainly helpful, a study commissioned by [the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2022 found that the current [per resident allocation] of $160,000 is $50,000 less than the national median for true training costs," Rep. Pallone wrote in the letter. "This leaves teaching health centers, which are predominantly federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, responsible for covering the outstanding costs associated with training residents. I am concerned that the discrepancy between the [per resident allocation] and the true costs of training a resident has the potential to threaten the viability of the [Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education] program."

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