The legislation drew ire from the hospital sector, however, because of provisions barring facility fees for telehealth and evaluation and management services provided outside hospital walls, requiring outpatient providers to use separate identifiers to avoid overbilling, and stopping hospitals from demanding contracts with health insurance companies that forbid insurers from steering patients to other providers.

"While we appreciate that the bill contains numerous policies to address healthcare workforce shortages, we are concerned that these investments come directly at the expense of the hospitals, health systems and caregivers that need this support in the first place," American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes wrote to HELP Committee leaders on Wednesday.

The Senate bill provides $5.8 billion for community centers, $950 million for the National Health Service Corps, $1.5 billion for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, $1.2 billion for nurse education at community colleges and $300 million to train primary care doctors.

"Regardless of all the the financial voodoo up here, at the end of the day this is going to save American taxpayers millions, if not billions, of dollars," Marshall said. "Whether it's a senior citizen by getting primary care sooner than later, that investment of a $100 visit may save a $30,000 hospital admission."