Clinton Proposes $17B in Annual Funding for Medical Education
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) yesterday announced the introduction of a bill that would provide annual payments of about $17 billion to establish "special accounts" for teaching hospitals and medical schools, AP/Newsday reports. The Medical Education Trust Fund Act would "almost double" current federal spending for medical education, according to Clinton's office. Speaking at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Senator said that "the financing structure of our health care system fails to adequately recognize and reimburse graduate medical education." Clinton yesterday also addressed the nursing shortage in the United States, calling the situation a "national crisis" (AP/Newsday, 4/10). Clinton is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) (Clinton release, 4/9).