OME Advocate Newsletter
Delivered twice-monthly right to your in-box, AACOM's OME Advocate keeps you informed and involved in policy discussions and legislation around healthcare, medical students and osteopathic medical education.
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- FAIR Act Offered as Senate Amendment
- AACOM Updates Student Loan FAQs Ahead of July 1 Changes
- AACOM President and CEO Emphasizes DO Schools’ Reach in Underserved Communities
- Meritus Dean Brian Kessler Highlights Mission to Invest in Long-Term Regional Health
- Osteopathic Leader Jeffrey Stroup Appointed to National Education Accreditation Advisory Committee
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Congressional Momentum Grows for FAIR Act and Community TEAMS Act
AACOM’s healthcare workforce priorities are gaining traction in Congress. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) submitted the Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, S. 2715, as Amendment 6412 to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, giving new visibility to efforts to ensure osteopathic medical students are treated fairly in the residency application process.
Continuing the momentum in the House, U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) circulated a Dear Colleague letter urging all Representatives to cosponsor the FAIR Act, H.R. 2314. Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX) , pursued a parallel strategy on the Community TEAMS Act, H.R. 3885, also circulating a Dear Colleague letter seeking cosponsors. Stakeholder support continues to grow, with 13 additional national and state organizations signing AACOM’s coalition letters on the FAIR Act and Community TEAMS Act this month alone. Now is the time to build on this progress. Join us for AACOM Advocacy Day on September 16-17, 2026, to help advance these critical priorities. |
Meet With Your Elected Officials at AACOM Advocacy Day 2026
Register by July 31, 2026, for the best chance to participate in congressional meetings and help drive real change. Schedule: Day 1: Get Trained. Get Inspired. 🕐 September 16, 1:00-3:00 PM ET
Day 2: Take Action. Be Heard. 🕐 September 17, individual meeting times TBD (approximately 2 hours total)
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House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Holds Markup, Advances 15 Health Bills
- On June 25, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee advanced Rep. Harshbarger’s Nutrition Education and Chronic Disease Prevention in Community Health Centers Act of 2026, H.R. 9389, as part of a 15-bill health markup. The legislation would support and expand nutrition education and chronic disease prevention services at Federally Qualified Health Centers.
- The markup also included measures addressing healthcare costs, drug classification, overdose prevention and behavioral health, including Rep. Susie Lee’s (D-NV) H.R. 8201, which would require community health centers to provide behavioral health and substance use disorder services and authorize related funding. Other bills addressed healthcare costs, drug classification, overdose prevention and behavioral health.
- Health Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) noted that the bills will likely need additional refinement before full committee consideration.
AACOM Resources for the New Federal Student Loan Environment
- AACOM has updated its federal financial aid FAQs ahead of the July 1, 2026, implementation of new federal loan provisions, including new borrowing limits and revised repayment plans, enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, P.L. 119-21.
- The FAQs are available on AACOM’s Student Financial Resources page and will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.
- Please reach out to your college’s financial aid office if you have specific questions or concerns.
Senate HELP Committee Holds Markup, Advances Eight Health Bills
- On June 17, 2026, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed eight bipartisan health bills, six of which passed unanimously 22-0, all focused on maternal health, cancer treatment, ALS therapies and drug pricing.
- Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) offered several amendments addressing healthcare workforce shortages, including increased funding for the National Health Service Corps and teaching health centers to place medical graduates in underserved and rural areas. These amendments were tabled by a narrow 12-11 votes.
- HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) committed to holding a follow-up markup in July to address additional healthcare priorities, including a vote to block the administration from shifting the Department of Education's special education and rehabilitative services to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- View AACOM’s summary of the hearing.
Engagement & Resources
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