# Understanding the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023

America has a shortage of doctors in training, and this bill tries to fix that by creating thousands of new medical residency positions over the next several years. Right now, the federal government limits how many resident physicians (doctors in their training years after medical school) hospitals can employ through Medicare funding. This bill would increase those limits, allowing hospitals to train more doctors, particularly in areas and specialties where doctors are needed most.

Here's what happens in practice: Starting in 2025 and running through 2031, the government will distribute 2,000 new residency positions each year to hospitals that apply for them. That's potentially 14,000 new doctor-in-training slots over seven years. Hospitals that want these positions have to apply and convince the government they can actually fill them with qualified candidates. The bill prioritizes certain types of hospitals—those in rural areas, hospitals that already have more residents than their current limit allows, hospitals in states with new medical schools, and hospitals serving areas with doctor shortages. At least 10 percent of positions each year must go to rural hospitals, hospitals in underserved areas, and hospitals affiliated with historically Black medical schools and other minority-serving institutions.

The bill also includes a special set-aside: one-third of the positions each year go exclusively to hospitals that are already training more residents than their official limit allows, as long as those hospitals commit to training at least 25 percent of their residents in primary care and general surgery—the types of doctors often in short supply. Additionally, the government will study how to recruit more doctors from rural, low-income, and underrepresented minority communities to help diversify the medical profession. The bottom line is that this bill aims to increase the number of doctors being trained in America, with extra attention to getting doctors into areas and specialties where they're needed most.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023

Sewell, Terri A.

Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.