OME Advocate Newsletter

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, the House Education and Workforce Committee approved a sweeping budget reconciliation bill along party lines aimed at overhauling federal student aid programs and reducing spending by more than $350 billion over a decade. Democrats offered 34 amendments that were all rejected. The proposal now heads to the full House for consideration as part of a broader reconciliation package.

Of particular concern to the osteopathic community are provisions that eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program starting in 2026, cap borrowing limits for professional programs at $150,000 per borrower and implement institutional accountability penalties to hold educational institutions accountable for student loan outcomes.

AACOM has been actively advocating to reduce the harmful impact of these provisions on our community. We are pleased that the Committee listened to some of our concerns and added language basing institutional accountability payments on medical graduates’ earnings post-residency. However, we are still working to fully understand the impact of that change on our colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) and are seeking additional revisions to strengthen the language. AACOM was also successful in securing a provision that prevents student loan interest accrual during the first four years of residency-related forbearance.

AACOM remains very concerned with the elimination of the Graduate PLUS loan program, the loan caps for professional students and potentially the risk-sharing provisions as we continue to realize the full impact on our COMs. We are working with House and Senate allies to determine what can be done to mitigate the impact of the legislation. We are also collaborating with stakeholders within and outside osteopathic medicine to promote congressional changes. We encourage the OME community to continue to advocate with your House and Senate members in support of these goals.

For more information, please review the AACOM analysis of the bill and summary of the Committee markup.

Congress is moving fast. Last week the House Education and Workforce Committee voted to approve its portion of the budget reconciliation bill. The legislation eliminates Grad PLUS Loans and caps federal student professional borrowing at $150,000—jeopardizing the future of countless medical students.

Grad PLUS loans are essential for making OME accessible, allowing students to borrow up to the full cost of their education without restrictive caps. Eliminating this program would make it harder for future doctors to afford medical school and worsen the physician shortage, especially in rural and underserved communities. At a time when our nation faces a growing physician shortage, it is critical that we do not impose unnecessary barriers on future physicians.

With more than 8,600 messages already sent to Congress, the osteopathic voice is powerful! Keep the momentum going and urge Congress to protect Grad PLUS loans, raise federal loan caps and prevent harmful risk-sharing measures that could limit access to medical education. Even if you’ve already sent a message, please do so again.

Mark your calendars and join us on September 9-10, 2025, for this year’s AACOM Advocacy Day! This free virtual event brings together osteopathic deans, students and faculty members to advocate for OME federal policy priorities.

Participants will have a chance to hear from Members of Congress, legislative and regulatory experts and AACOM’s Government Relations team to learn more about the congressional landscape and effective advocacy tools to achieve OME policy priorities. The commitment is only about two hours each day so save the date on your calendar now.

• On April 23, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (EO), entitled Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education. The EO would overhaul the college accreditation system, which sets standards ensuring institutions of higher education are eligible for federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
• The EO seeks to move away from requirements of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and instead, refocus accreditation standards on whether institutions offer quality academic programs, reasonable tuition and compliance with the law. It also encourages the recognition of new accreditors to foster competition.
• Of particular relevance to the OME community, the EO mentions the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Linda McMahon, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., to investigate ACGME and LCME for DEI-based discrimination. The EO states, “The Secretary of Education shall also assess whether to suspend or terminate the Committee's or the Accreditation Council's status as an accrediting agency under Federal law.” View our analysis to learn more.
• On May 1, 2025, ED released a Dear Colleague Letter that provides initial guidance on changing accrediting agencies outlined in the EO.
• Relatedly, on April 16, 2025, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation voted to suspend enforcement of standards and elements related to DEI until May 1, 2026.
• AACOM continues to monitor the EOs and other activities related to ED and will provide updates as needed. Please contact aacomgr@aacom.org with questions.

• On April 30, 2025, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing titled, "Biomedical Research: Keeping America's Edge in Innovation."
• The hearing focused on the importance of federal funding for biomedical research and its impact on the nation's health and economy.
• During the hearing, the Trump administration’s cap on indirect research costs, the canceling of grants and the mass firing of employees across HHS were key points of discussion. View a full summary of the hearing.
• AACOM continues to monitor policy changes affecting medical research at our member schools and will provide updates as they become available.

• On April 21, 2025, NIH announced a new policy requiring grant recipients to certify they do not run DEI programs that violate federal anti-discrimination laws or promote "discriminatory equity ideology” in order to receive new awards.
• Recipients must refrain from participating in any boycotts against Israeli companies or those affiliated with Israel. Failure to comply may result in the termination of financial assistance awards and the recovery of funds.
• The policy applies to recipients of “new, renewal, supplement, or continuation awards” issued on April 21 or afterward. NIH will terminate awards and claw back grant funding from organizations that violate the new terms.
• This action is aligned with other administrative directives to end federal support for DEI programs. Several NIH and other federal research grants have since been canceled over claims they support “non-scientific” projects, prompting lawsuits from university researchers, a public health group and a major higher ed union.

• On April 18, 2025, Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, was sworn in as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
• Since his Senate confirmation on April 3, 2025, Dr. Mehmet Oz has outlined his vision as CMS administrator focused on improving health outcomes, promoting prevention and wellness and empowering providers with better patient data, while tackling fraud and abuse in federal healthcare programs.