• Oppose this or any other legislation that would cut funding or impose changes to Medicaid that would result in Medicaid enrollees losing coverage.
• Oppose limits and restrictions to federal student loans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that make it harder for people to attend medical school or pay off their student debt.
• Pass H.R. 879 and S. 1640, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025, which would reverse the 2.83% cut in physician Medicare payment.

Background: Congress is advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which among other things would make significant changes to Medicaid that could force states to drop people from coverage and/or curtail their benefits; or alternatively, to cut payments to physicians and hospitals, raise taxes or cut other programs. ACP is concerned that millions of people could lose their healthcare coverage and access to care, including children, people with disabilities and low-income elderly people. Physicians, as well as hospitals, would likely see many more uninsured people and, given the increase in uncompensated care that is likely to result, some rural hospitals would be forced to close.

This legislation also includes significant changes to federal student loan programs amounting to more than $330 billion in cuts in these programs. Specifically, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would cap borrowing on federal student loans at $50,000 for undergraduate programs, $100,000 for graduate student programs and $150,000 for professional programs. However, the average medical school graduate is graduating with approximately $235,000 in medical school debt alone, or $265,000 of combined medical and premedical education debt. If this passes, far fewer students would be able to afford medical school, exacerbating the existing physician shortages across the country, especially in rural areas. The bill would also change the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program by excluding medical and dental residency from counting towards loan forgiveness, making it more challenging for future medical graduates to repay loans issued after July 1, 2025. These proposed changes would make medical schools less accessible for those who want to pursue a career in medicine as medical education remains the most expensive post-secondary education in the US. 

Finally, while the One Big Beautiful Bill Act does include a small increase in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor for 2026, it allows the current 2.83% cut to stay in place. Congress should  pass H.R. 879 and S. 1640, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025, which would reverse the 2.83% cut in physician Medicare payment (that went into effect on January 1, 2025) and provide a 2% payment update in 2025, or one half the rate of inflation for practice costs for this year, which would help to stabilize physician practices and protect patients' access to care. 

Action Requested: Please email your members of Congress and ask them to oppose legislation that cuts Medicaid coverage, limits and restricts federal student loans and PSLF, and does not fix Medicare physician payment cuts. A sample letter has been provided below for you to personalize and submit electronically.