Washington Blames Doctors for Shortage It Created
The article points out the obvious bottleneck: federally funded medical residency slots have been capped since 1997 by the Balanced Budget Act. This isn't groundbreaking insight; it's a structural barrier. What The Hill 's commentary conveniently overlooks is the broader context of how 'Washington' allocates resources and attention. While we're debating why there aren't enough doctors,
Congressional representatives like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) received $10,000 from the American Hospital Association in 2022, a lobby group that has historically resisted expanding residency slots, citing financial concerns. It's almost as if some 'Washington' actors benefit from a scarcity that drives up demand and insurance costs, while blaming an abstract 'Washington' for the problem. We can
'end' the shortage, The Hill declares, by lifting the cap. One might then wonder why, if the solution is so simple, it hasn't been implemented over the last 27 years. Perhaps the same 'Washington' that struggles with basic healthcare funding is too busy debating whether another $14 billion of taxpayer money, as passed by the House in HR 815, should go to Israeli military aid—a bill supported by
many of the same politicians who bemoan domestic shortages. Funny how prioritizing foreign military aid over homegrown healthcare doesn't even warrant a footnote in their grand analysis of 'Washington's' failings.