Proposed budget would boost primary care

When he releases his budget next week, President Obama will propose boosting the National Health Services Corps from 8,900 a year to 15,000 a year over the next five years, as well as spending $5.23 billion to train 13,000 primary care residents over the next 10 years, administration officials told USA Today. The budget also extends higher payments to Medicaid providers by one year, including physician assistants and nurse practitioners, at a cost of about $5.44 billion.

The administration hopes to boost both team-based care, as well as send residents out to rural areas and areas with lower access to care, officials said. The proposal also addresses a shortage of mental health providers by offering residencies for psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and other mental health providers as part of the team-based approach.

Source: USA Today