AGD Supports Bill to Assist HIV Health Workforce with Student Debt
AGD sent a letter of support to Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), thanking her for reintroducing H.R.2295, the HIV Epidemic Loan-Repayment Program (HELP) Act, on June 9. The bill would support a robust HIV health workforce by authorizing a new student loan repayment program offering up to $250,000 over five years in loan repayment to clinicians and dentists in exchange for service at Ryan White-funded clinical sites and health professional shortage areas.
The legislation would hopefully bolster the HIV health provider workforce, which will in turn allow people living with HIV to better access necessary HIV treatment and services. Individuals living with HIV have a weakened immune system that makes it harder to fight off infection, which puts them at a particular risk for developing oral health problems. The mouth can be one of the first parts of the body to be affected when a person is infected with HIV.
Impact on General Dentistry: AGD strongly supports the legislation, as it aims to address the severe burden student loans place on dental students and provide new dentists with greater freedom to work in various areas and serve patients living with HIV.
The legislation would hopefully bolster the HIV health provider workforce, which will in turn allow people living with HIV to better access necessary HIV treatment and services. Individuals living with HIV have a weakened immune system that makes it harder to fight off infection, which puts them at a particular risk for developing oral health problems. The mouth can be one of the first parts of the body to be affected when a person is infected with HIV.
Impact on General Dentistry: AGD strongly supports the legislation, as it aims to address the severe burden student loans place on dental students and provide new dentists with greater freedom to work in various areas and serve patients living with HIV.