Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), recently introduced the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019, legislation that would increase the number of Medicare direct graduate medical education (DGME) and indirect medical education (IME) slots nationally by 3,000 each year between 2021 and 2025 (15,000 in total). The bill requires that each year, one-half of available new slots be used to train residents in a shortage specialty residency program. The ACC will work with a coalition to introduce companion legislation in the House and garner additional cosponsors in the Senate.

When determining which hospitals will receive slots, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must prioritize:

• Hospitals in states with new medical schools or new branch campuses;
• Hospitals training over their cap;
• Hospitals affiliated with Veterans Affairs medical centers;
• Hospitals that emphasize training in community-based settings or in hospital outpatient departments;
• Hospitals that are not located in a rural area and operate an approved "rural track" program; among others.

Under the bill, new slots would be reimbursed at the hospital's otherwise applicable per-resident amounts for DGME purposes, using the usual adjustment factor for IME reimbursement purposes. Additionally, the bill requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on strategies for increasing health professional workforce diversity.

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Medicare, Medicaid, Internship and Residency, Schools, Medical, Outpatients, Education, Medical, Graduate

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