PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES Reps. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., and Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., introduced legislation Thursday that they say would address the physician shortage in the United States by increasing the number of Graduate Medical Education spots by 15,000 over the next five years. Residency programs are largely paid for by the federal government, according to The Wall Street Journal, and those slots have been capped at the same level for 15 years, which keeps medical schools from expanding.
LET HHS NEGOTIATE DRUG PRICES Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., is introducing legislation that would require HHS to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, a change he says could save $156 billion without cutting benefits to seniors. Saying, “Instead of cutting benefits for seniors and future seniors, let’s do something practical that will save taxpayers money without dismantling the Medicare program.” PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT HEALTH CARE COSTS People may be willing to compare costs on groceries, but they don’t want to do so for health care—and they don’t want doctors to do so, either, according to a recent study in the journal Health Affairs.
