A federal bill was reintroduced in March that would require systems to report on DOs accepted to their system or face a 2% annual reduction in Indirect Medical Education payments.
The Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act, HR 2314, is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, along with five U.S. representatives. If signed into law, the bill would require systems to detail the number of DO and MD applicants and accepted residents in annual reports and affirm that DO applications and COMLEX-USA scores are accepted for consideration. It would not change how residency positions are allocated, mandate specific admission decisions or impose quotas, according to a March 25 association release.
DO applicants have faced persistent discrimination in residency placement, the association said. The National Resident Matching Program found 29% of residency program directors never or seldom interview DO candidates, and of those that do, 73% require DO students to take the MD licensing exam, despite having to pass their own comprehensive exam, COMLEX-USA.
“As our nation grapples with a worsening physician shortage, we must eliminate unnecessary barriers that prevent highly qualified osteopathic medical students from accessing residency opportunities,” AACOM President and CEO Robert Cain, DO, said in the release.
In 2024, 52.1% of matched DO seniors entered primary care, compared to 35.6% of MD seniors. The majority of DOs also remain in the state where they complete residency training, which can help ease physician shortages.
“By increasing transparency in Medicare GME, the FAIR Act will enable DOs to compete fairly for residency positions, better serve their communities and help strengthen America’s healthcare workforce,” the release said.
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