Courtney introduces legislation to renew Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney introduced legislation yesterday to renew the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program, a program designed to bolster the number of pediatric mental health providers, a critical area of need. The Pediatric Subspecialty and Mental Health Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2013, H.R. 1827, would reauthorize Sec. 775 of the Public Health Service Act, which provides loan repayment in exchange for service in areas of medical need. Specifically, in exchange for participants agreeing to work full-time for at least two years in a pediatric medical specialty, a pediatric surgical specialty or in child and adolescent mental and behavioral health in a medically underserved area, the program pays up to $35,000 in loan repayment for each year of service, for a maximum of three years.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

"This legislation addresses two critical areas: staggering student loan debt and an insufficient number of mental health professionals and pediatric specialists trained to treat children and adolescents," said Congressman Courtney. "By tying loan repayment to service commitments in areas of need, we can address both crises in tandem. This targeted investment is good for young people, who will have better access to the care they need, and for recent graduates, who will be able to pursue a specialty they may not have otherwise considered, while also paying down debt at the same time."

"While one in five children has a mental health disorder, only 21 percent of those affected actually receive needed treatment," said AACAP President Martin J. Drell, MD. "Our current health care system does not meet the needs of these children. From my experience, with the severe shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists across the country, Rep. Courtney's bill could not come at a better time."

According to a 2012 survey conducted by the Children's Hospital Association, the average time for a family to see a developmental pediatric specialist is 14.5 weeks; 8.9 weeks for neurology and 7.5 weeks for child and adolescent psychiatry. There is also a significant disparity in the geographic distribution of pediatric specialists across the country to treat these children, resulting in many children in underserved rural and urban areas not receiving timely health care. Compounding the problem, fewer individuals are choosing careers in pediatric subspecialties and pediatric mental health care, while the existing workforce continues to age. Financial concerns, such as debt load, are a significant factor and a deterrent influencing career choice away from pediatric subspecialty.

"Children with serious medical conditions should not have where they live determine what kind of health care services they receive," said AAP President Thomas K. McInerny, MD, FAAP. "Pediatricians welcome the Pediatric Subspecialty and Mental Health Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2013 as a needed step to help provide children with timely access to needed health services, no matter their health condition or Zip code."