ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY The Dormant National Health Care Workforce Commission Needs Congressional Funding To Fulfill Its Promise

Congress established the National Health Care Workforce Commission under section 5101 of the Affordable Care Act to provide data on the health care workforce and policy advice to both Congress and the administration. Although members of the Workforce Commission were appointed September 30, 2010, Congress has been unable to appropriate the $3 million requested by the administration to fund the commission. Consequently, the commission has never met and is not operational. As a new era of insurance coverage, care delivery, and payment reforms unfolds, the commission is needed to recommend policies that would help the nation achieve the goals of increased access to high-quality care and better preparation, configuration, and distribution of the nation's health workforce. In a climate where fiscal policy is dominated by spending on health care, the commission can also stimulate innovations aimed at reducing the cost of health care and achieving greater value and transparency.