The HANYS-backed Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2015 (S. 1148/H.R. 2124) would augment the number of residency slots by 3,000 per year for each of five years from 2017 to 2021, for a total of 15,000 new slots. The legislation stipulates that at least 1,500 slots per year must be used for a shortage specialty residency program as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
According to the release, the introduction of this legislation is crucial to garnering bipartisan support in Congress for protection and augmentation of Graduate Medical Education (GME) as the projected need for doctors grows. In addition to helping pay for physician training, GME payments are essential in supporting the vital role of facilities in providing healthcare in their communities.
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