Growing Movement Urges Congress to Expand the Addiction Specialist Physician Workforce

With other organizations urging Congress swiftly address the glaring shortage of physicians trained to treat patients with addiction, ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. This bipartisan legislation would create 1,000 more Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine residency programs, and their prerequisite programs, and would be implemented over five years at hospitals with or that are establishing accredited programs. This effort is spearheaded by the GME Advocacy Coalition, which is also advocating for the reintroduction of its companion bill in the Senate, the Opioid Workforce Act, in this session.

Read the letter here.