Joshi’s Bill Increases Efficiency in Education Loan Program for Health Care Professionals

Measure would save nearly $470,000

DENVER – State Rep. Janak Joshi’s bill to streamline the loan forgiveness process for health care professionals passed the Legislature today and will be sent to the governor’s office to be signed into law.

House Bill 1281 combines loan forgiveness programs for health care professionals in the Primary Care Office in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.  In addition to increasing efficiency, HB 1281 would free up $470,592 from the Nursing Teacher Loan Forgiveness
Fund that will now be available to cover other state costs.

“The system we have in place is inefficient.  It’s duplicative and splits the resources of the education loan forgiveness process for our doctors and nurses,” said Joshi, R-Colorado Springs.  

Currently, the CDPHE administers a health professional loan repayment program known as the Colorado Health Service Corps. This bill combines the nursing teacher loan repayment program with the Health Service Corps, and authorizes the program to repay loans for other health care professional faculty who teach in institutions of higher education.

“As a physician by trade, I understand how burdensome and confusing medical education loans can be on doctors and nurses,” said Joshi.  “This bill will ease that process by streamlining the loan forgiveness system and making it more efficient and effective.”

HB 1281 passed in both the House and Senate unanimously.  The bill will go into effect immediately upon the signature of the governor.