By R. Scott Nolen
Eagerly anticipated rules implementing the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Service Act passed more than six years ago, have at long last been issued.
The Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service published the interim final rule and call for comments in the July 9 Federal Register.
According to the notice, CSREES will designate geographic and practice areas experiencing a shortage of food supply veterinarians as a step in carrying out the program goals of strengthening the nation's animal health infrastructure and supplementing the federal response during animal health emergencies.
Additionally, the agency will make educational loan repayment agreements with veterinarians who choose to provide veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations for a determined period of time.
The AVMA has strongly advocated for the loan repayment program, including testifying before Congress about how the program can help alleviate the growing shortage of veterinarians working in needed areas, such as food animal medicine.
At the AVMA Town Hall Meeting Saturday, Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, director of the AVMA Governmental Relations Division, said the USDA in September will begin querying state health officials about their underserved areas. It is expected CSREES will begin accepting applications to the program by February or March of 2010, he added.
"It's a great program, and we're pleased with USDA's response," Dr. Lutschaunig said.
Since its enactment, Congress has appropriated a total of $4.8 million for CSREES to administer the program. The agency expects that future funding will be based on annual appropriations and balances from prior years, and will likely vary from year to year.
On the basis of input from the AVMA and other stakeholders and considering the available funding, experiences with other federal loan repayment programs, and the goals of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, CSREES believes that $25,000 per year in loan repayments for a minimum of three or four years, plus an amount sufficient to cover the additional tax liability, is an adequate incentive to induce program participants to relocate to veterinarian shortage situations critical to the security of the nation's food supply and the health and safety of people, food animals, and the environment.
CSREES is also considering a pilot program whereby a limited number of loan repayment agreements would be authorized for veterinarians who agree to serve during pandemics, zoonotic outbreaks, or other food supply emergencies.
The agency anticipates that about 40 Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program agreements will be executed the first year. Such an approach will allow individual participants to reduce their educational debt within a three- or four-year time period and meet their additional tax liability while serving in shortage areas with the greatest need, according to CSREES.
Comments on the interim rule must be received by Sept. 8, 2009, to be considered in the final rule.
