- Spring 2005-

Allied Health Reinvestment Act Moves to U.S. Senate

The Allied Health Reinvestment Act (S. 473) was re-introduced on February 28, 2005 by Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Joe Lieberman(D-CT), in the 109th Congress. A coalition of approximately 30 organizations are working to have this legislation passed. A rationale for the proposed legislation and the text of the bill appeared in the February 28, 2005 issue of the Congressional Record.

The Allied Health Reinvestment Act will encourage people to seek and complete high quality allied health education and training by providing additional funding for their studies. This funding will help provide the U.S. health care industry with a supply of allied health professionals to support the nation's health care system in this decade and beyond.

The American Hospital Association (AHA), expressed its support for the Allied Health Reinvestment Act, which would address the growing national shortage of allied health professionals such as occupational and physical therapists, clinical laboratory technologists, imaging technicians, pharmacy technicians and radiologist technologists. (View the AHA's entire letter to bill sponsor Sen. Cantwell.)

Some of the incentives provided by the Act for allied health students to enter and complete their training would be: recruitment grants; provisions to strengthen recruitment, retention and practice; and incentives to promote racial and ethnic diversity in allied health professions.

"Helping alleviate the critical shortage of allied health care professionals is of vital importance to health care providers and the patients they serve," states AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack in his letter to bill sponsor Sen. Cantwell. "We hope Congress will recognize the significance of investing in this critical area of need."

Hospitals and health care facilities, as well as allied health professionals across the United States are experiencing a shortage, including occupational and physical therapists, clinical laboratory technologists, imaging and radiology technicians, and pharmacy technicians. Declining enrollments in allied health education programs are exacerbating these shortages. The proposed Act would add new resources to address these workforce shortages.

The time is now for Allied Health Reinvestment Act to pass; President Bush has proposed to eliminate all allied health professions funding in his federal fiscal year 2006 budget proposal.