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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AACOM Advocacy Delivers Wins in House Budget Bill—More Work Ahead
On May 22, 2025, the House voted 215-214 to pass its budget reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R. 1 . The legislation would make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and cut federal spending by at least $1.5 trillion over 10 years, majorly reforming health and higher education policies, including federal loan borrowing. Within the sweeping legislation are harmful provisions that eliminate Grad PLUS loans, cap federal borrowing and establish risk-sharing payments for higher education institutions, including osteopathic medical schools. AACOM has been actively opposing these provisions, and has much work to do, but worked with the House Education & Workforce Committee to secure the following amendments that benefit the osteopathic community: Prevention of student loan interest accrual during the first four years of residency-related forbearance Fairer institutional accountability measures tied to medical graduates’ earnings after residency A recent Axios article highlights how the harmful proposals would escalate the physician shortage. "We've got a tsunami of challenges already to deal with," said David Bergman, a senior vice president at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). "It just will be exacerbated by a lack of access to reasonably priced student loans." Another recent article in The Guardian further emphasizes the risk. “When there is a stated goal from these policymakers to increase the physician workforce, to increase the number of primary care physicians and expand access in rural and underserved areas – these policies just don’t align with those priorities,” said Bergman. “It’s a really bad workforce decision.” AACOM will now be turning our advocacy to the Senate and encourages the OME community to continue to raise its voice against these policies that make it harder to train the next generation of doctors. |
NIH Director Bhattacharya Recognizes Osteopathic Value
On May 29, 2025, Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, president of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Julie Crockett, AACOM director of government relations, represented AACOM at a leadership roundtable hosted by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD.
Delivering the final question, Dr. Tooke-Rawlins powerfully emphasized the osteopathic profession’s value, noting that:
Colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) educate more than 38,000 future physicians—nearly 30 percent of all U.S. medical students—across 69 campuses nationwide.
Despite this significant contribution, COMs receive just 0.1 percent of NIH research funding, while allopathic institutions receive 42 percent.
Of the 462 seats across NIH’s National Advisory Councils, only three are held by DOs.
In response, Dr. Bhattacharya concluded the meeting by recognizing the importance of including DOs in NIH research, stating, “Their [DO] participation will make science better.”
FAIR Act Gains New Cosponsor
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, recently signed on to cosponsor the bipartisan Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act, H.R. 2314 , which ensures that Medicare-funded residency programs accept DO applications and their licensing exam, the COMLEX-USA. Urge your representative to cosponsor and pass the FAIR Act by taking action today. | |||||||||
Register Today: Gain New Skills and Grow Your Voice
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Register now for AACOM’s Advocacy Day—a free virtual event where osteopathic deans, students, faculty members and advocates come together to advance OME priorities. All are welcome!
For two hours each day on September 9–10, 2025, you’ll engage with Members of Congress, advocacy consultants and AACOM's Government Relations team. Gain key insights into the federal landscape and learn how to be an effective advocate.
Congressional Hearings Focus on Higher Ed
- Three congressional committees placed higher education front and center during May 21, 2025, hearings, some with contentious discussion.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee covered the rising cost of college and debt among borrowers and how reconciliation cuts impact higher education access.
- The House Education and Workforce Committee, Subcommittee on Higher Ed held a hearing highlighting differing views on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
- Critics raised concerns that DEI programs are unlawful, violate Title VI and that research should not be beholden to ideology.
- Supporters pointed to the importance of access and ensuring every student can succeed, noting the harm cuts have on marginalized institutions and populations.
- The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHSE) heard from the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Republicans praised the Secretary for her progress eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse” while Democrats reminded the Secretary that she lacks unilateral authority to dismantle the department.
- For more information, see AACOM’s summaries of the Senate HELP Committee, the House Ed and Workforce Committee and the House Appropriations Committee hearings.
HHS Secretary Defends Budget Cuts
- On May 14, 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress for the first time since his confirmation.
- He defended his proposal to eliminate 10,000 federal jobs and implement sweeping budget cuts, including $18 billion from the NIH and $3.6 billion from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Lawmakers from both parties questioned the potential impact on public health, research and agency operations. Kennedy argued that the reductions would streamline efficiency, claiming that reduced bureaucracy and consolidated divisions would improve HHS’s responsiveness.
- View the full hearing.
Engagement & Resources
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