AGS Raises Concerns on Cuts to Training, Research in President Trump’s Proposed Budget
New York (Mar. 16, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) expressed its deep disappointment with proposed cuts to geriatrics training, healthcare research, and a range of services for older adults—all outlined by President Trump in his budget plan for 2018.
Among several concerns, the AGS noted that the budget would eliminate $403 million from training programs that educate the doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and many other health professionals essential to our care as we age. The Trump proposal is premised on a flawed assumption that health professions and nursing training programs “lack evidence that they significantly improve the Nation’s health workforce.”
“We are especially concerned about the potential impact of these cuts on the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) under Titles VII and VIII,” said Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “This is the only federal program aimed at improving the quality, safety, and affordability of our care by increasing the number of professionals with the skills needed to care for us as we age.”