Committee Activity

The Committee on Small Business will meet for a hearing titled, “The Doctor is Out. Rising Student Loan Debt and the Decline of the Small Medical Practice.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 11:30 A.M. on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Student loan debt is now a $1.49 trillion issue that continues to break records quarter after quarter. Not only has it forced many younger and older Americans to reevaluate careers paths but has also hampered small business formation and expansion. Among medical professionals, it has hindered opportunities for sole or private practice, while limiting or influencing the specialty many medical professionals are able to choose from. Members will hear testimony about the cause of the staggering growth in student loan debt, why medical professionals are more likely to have higher debt levels, and the impact it has on specialization and private practice decisions. Additionally, the hearing will examine what legislative solutions or ideas are available to reduce student loan debt and increase the number of sole practices in the health care field, particularly in rural areas.

Ms. Sandra Norby, PT, DPT
CEO
HomeTown Physical Therapy, LLC
Des Moines, IA
*Testifying on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association
Testimony

Dr. Lauren Wiese
Orthodontic Resident
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
Baltimore, MD
*Testifying on behalf of the American Association of Orthodontics
Testimony 

Dr. Tracey L. Henry, MD, MPH, MS, FACP
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine 
Assistant Health Director, Grady Primary Care Center 
Atlanta, GA
*Testifying on behalf of the American College of Physicians 
Testimony

Mr. Jason Delisle
Resident Fellow
American Enterprise Institute
Washington, DC
*Testifying on behalf of the American Enterprise Institute
Testimony