The Alliance of Specialty Medicine wrote to Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT) in support of H.R. 944 which would improve access to care in rural America through a student loan forgiveness program for specialty physicians.
While physician shortages are problematic throughout the United States, the lack of access to specialty care in rural areas is especially critical. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease and cancer compared to their urban counterparts. And specialists like urologists can only be found in 38% of all counties in the United States. Given the sometimes crushing burden of medical student debt, programs like the one outlined in HR 944 will help incentivize new doctors to explore rural communities for their practices.