The ACC joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics and host of other medical society groups in asking Congress to fund the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program (PSLRP) at $50 million in fiscal year (FY) 2022.

The program would provide up to $35,000 annually for a maximum of three years to pediatric subspecialists who agree to practice in an underserved area, which would in turn improve patient access to care. Congress reauthorized the PSLRP for five years in the CARES Act, but funding was not included in the final FY 2021 omnibus spending bill enacted in December 2020. This move was due in part to tight discretionary spending caps, and the fact that the FY 2021 appropriations cycle was already in process when the program was reauthorized. Read the joint letters to the House Appropriations Committee here and the Senate Appropriations Committee here.

Other ACC Advocacy activities this week have urged lawmakers to recognize the unique needs of pediatric cardiology and for research of congenital heart disease (CHD). The ACC submitted FY 2022 appropriations requests for increased funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Congenital Heart Disease Research program. Read about ACC's full FY 2022 requests here. Additionally, ACC members in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania met with multiple lawmakers to share their expertise and to express ongoing CHD policy needs for patients and health care professionals.
Follow along at #ACCGrassroots on Twitter.

Learn about ACC's Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology Section here, and get involved with ACC's grassroots actions here.

Clinical Topics: Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Congenital Heart Disease, CHD and Pediatrics and Quality Improvement

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Medically Underserved Area, Societies, Medical, Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S., Heart Defects, Congenital, Health Services Accessibility

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