NHSC program after 2015

[mzaur]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure if you aware of this (I wasn't until today) but the NHSC fund since 2012 has been tied to the ACA (Obamacare), and the law is such that NHSC is only receiving funding until fiscal year 2015 (oct 2014 to sept 2015).

This essentially means that NHSC programs such as scholarships and loan repayment program are short term, and as the law stands now, there isn't any funding after 2015. This is worrying to me because I will not be finished with my MSN until 2016-2017 and was hoping to do the loan repayment program.

I'm curious what you guys think may happen? Do you think Congress will appropriate further funding for the program after 2015? With the way things are going now in Washington, I'm a bit pessimistic

Starting next year, the NHSC's entire budget will be tied to the ACA fund and the program faces a severe funding cliff in fiscal 2016. Congress will be tasked with finding new money for the program - at least $310 million to prevent a cut in annual NHSC scholarship and loan repayment awards. If Congress returns NHSC funding to the annual appropriations process, it will face an already strained federal budget and be pitted against other programs of importance to medical students and academic medicine, such as Title VII health professions training and the National Institutes of Health.

Source

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I've no idea. A lot could change between now and then. You'll just have to wait and see.

[MrSensitivity]

Since you're asking for opinions, I've got one. There aren't very many bills that fund programs more than 3-5 years at a time. I'm not surprised it's part of a package that will have to be voted on in 2016. Otherwise it'd come under the heading of entitlements. I think The Advanced Nursing Education program administered by HRSA has been around since 1998 or something like that. Certainly there are parts of the ACA that are politically controversial, but even if the political winds change and the ACA falls apart there will be bits and pieces everywhere that will be funded. Healthcare provider tuition reimbursement, particularly for those who contract in underserved areas would be something both political parties would be in favor of saving. We'll still keep our fingers crossed.

[mzaur]

Thanks for your input. I do hope you're right!