Activity
pertinent to academic dentistry within the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce centers on the opioid crisis and the health care workforce. On June
27, the Subcommittee on Health marked up five bills and several amendments,
including H.R. 3728, Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce
Efficiency Readiness Act (EMPOWER)
Act, as amended. The subcommittee version of the EMPOWER Act amends Title VII
of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to reauthorize the health professions
workforce programs that support loan repayment and provider training
experiences in primary care, dentistry, rural or underserved areas and
community-based settings.
There was
bipartisan support to level-fund the health professions training for diversity
programs, training in general pediatric and public health dentistry grants
among others. The full committee is expected to take up the legislation this
year.