ASCP Urges Feds to Expand Laboratory Workforce Efforts

ASCP is urging the federal government to strengthen its support for laboratory workforce development. In a recent statement to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, ASCP and the ASCP Board of Certification called for robust loan forgiveness options for laboratory professionals and faculty at training programs to help incentivize these careers. ASCP also called for funding to support the creation or expansion of accredited laboratory training programs, including funding to encourage innovative technologies to expand training capacity.

While there are federal programs designed to enhance the U.S. healthcare workforce, few pertain to laboratory professionals. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages several programs focused on healthcare workforce development, such as scholarships, loan forgiveness, and direct support for training programs, but these largely focus on expanding the pipeline of physicians, dentists, nurses, and physician assistants.

One program HRSA oversees that can assist with laboratory workforce initiatives is the Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP). It is highly competitive and provides up to $40,000 toward loan repayment (plus funding to offset the related tax burden) in exchange for a two-year teaching commitment. (According to the program’s website, subsequent contracts may be possible after the initial two-year contract.) Individuals with a bachelor’s degree, graduate degree, or certificate in medical laboratory technology are eligible.

Another program that could potentially reduce the costs of academic and clinical training for laboratory professionals (and program faculty) is the Federal Public Service Loan Program (FPSLP). However, this program has been beset with problems. According to a 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office, approximately 99 percent of applicants were denied access to these benefits, primarily because applicants had not met minimum qualifying repayment requirements. The program has been the subject of a recent regulatory reform effort by the Biden Administration; ASCP hopes the changes will provide viable benefits for laboratory professionals.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the FSLP program can be used to forgive “the remaining balance on [Federal] Direct Loans after…120 qualifying monthly payments [have been made] under a qualifying repayment plan while working full time for a qualifying employer.” Qualifying employers include U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal governments, such as public health laboratory, or a not-for-profit organization, such a non-profit hospital laboratory.

ASCP will continue its effort to secure more meaningful policies and opportunities that incentivize careers in laboratory medicine.

To read more articles from this issue of ePolicy, click here. To learn more about ePolicy News and access past newsletters and articles, click here.