Indian American physicians schedule Legislative Day on Capitol Hill on May 8

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Indian American physicians will make their presence felt on Capitol Hill May 8, when they arrive from around the country to be part of a delegation lobbying lawmakers about their priorities.

Announcing the date, Dr. Satheesh Kathula, president of AAPI, said in a press release, “We expect to have the participation from dozens of key Congressmen and Senators.”

The day-long event will begin at 10:00 am and conclude at 3 pm, with participants aiming to meet lawmakers who represent their home constituencies.

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AAPI estimates that it represents the interests of more than 100,000 physicians and 40,000 medical students and residents of Indian heritage in the United States.

“AAPI is once again in the forefront in bringing many burning health care issues facing the community at large and bringing this to the Capitol and to the US Congress,” said Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Co-Chair of AAPI Legislative Affairs Committee. Dr. Parikh urged “AAPI colleagues and everyone interested in or connected with providing health care to attend this event and ensure that our concerns and needs are heard by our lawmakers and ensure that they act on them.”

Chair of AAPI’s Board of Trustees, BOT, Dr. Sunil Kaza, said, “The mission AAPI, the largest ethnic organization of physicians, is to provide a forum to facilitate and enable Indian American physicians to excel at inpatient care, teaching and research, and to pursue their aspirations in professional and community affairs.”

During the annual Legislative Conference, AAPI will discuss Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursements, Prior Authorization, Immigration Reform, Increased Residency Slots, Addressing Physician Shortage, and Scope of Medical Practice Issues, etc., the press release said.

“AAPI Legislative Day is a flagship annual event that is eagerly awaited to rekindle and renew our energy in bringing up the issues that we need to bring to the attention of national policy makers and leaders of the US Congress on Capitol Hill,” said President-elect of AAPI Dr. Amit Chakrabarty.

Legislative Day has been observed by AAPI for nearly three decades, and changes in national healthcare policies helping Indian-origin practitioners have been achieved, the organization believes.

“Now, it is the need of the day to renew our friendship with new leadership under President Donald Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance and brief the Congressional leadership on issues that are important to us,” Dr. Chakrabarty said.

US is currently experiencing a physician shortage, which will be exacerbated by retiring baby boomers, affecting thousands of patients’ access to a physician, and ultimately the health care they need, AAPI has strongly supported the much needed Immigration Reform, particularly with the focus on H-1 and J-1 visas which are used by many South Asian American physicians, playing an important role in providing critical health care across the country.

“The conference will focus on Immigration Reform and ways for AAPI members to be part of the process in the implementation of the health care reform in this country,” Vice President of AAPI Dr. Meher Medavaram, said. “While medical school enrollment has climbed 2% annually over the past five years through new schools and expansion of existing schools, the number of residency slots funded by Medicare has been capped at about 100,000 since 1997,” he added.

Dr. Kathula noted that to be a player in crafting the delivery of health care most efficiently and to strive for equality in health globally, “the annual Legislative Day is a perfect way to impact Healthcare policy and programs most effectively.” He urged physicians to join AAPI on Capitol Hill on May 8.

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