May 28, 1999

Bentsen Gathers Signatures on GME, DSH Letter

Rep. Ken Bentsen (D-Texas) is gathering Members of Congress' signatures on a letter written to President Clinton on graduate medical education (GME) and disproportionate share hospitals (DSH). As the president is currently drafting a Medicare reform proposal in response to the work of the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, Rep. Bentsen and others are urging the president to maintain current Medicare policy for GME and DSH.

The letter states, "We believe that any Medicare reform proposal must maintain the mandatory funding component for GME and DSH programs. Absent any new mandatory structure, there is a very real concern that our nation's teaching hospitals would be financially devastated."

"In order to remain the world leader in graduate medical education, we must continue to maintain Medicare's strong commitment to the nation's teaching hospitals. We oppose efforts to subject GME and DSH programs to an annual appropriations process which would force them to compete against other important federal priorities."

At press time, Reps. John Peterson (R-Pa.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas); Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Connie Morella (R-Md.), Martin Frost (D-Texas), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) and Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) have also signed the letter.

Information: Lynne L. Davis, AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0526.