Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 - Summary **What It Does:** This bill would increase the number of medical residency positions that hospitals can fill while receiving Medicare funding. It would add 2,000 new residency positions per year from 2026 through 2032, with individual hospitals able to add up to 75 positions during that period. The bill prioritizes rural hospitals and areas with healthcare shortages, and requires at least one-third of new positions to go to hospitals already training more residents than current limits allow.
It also requires a government study on how to recruit more doctors from rural, low-income, and minority communities. **Who It Affects:** This bill primarily affects hospitals, medical schools, and the doctors-in-training (residents) who fill these positions. Patients in rural and underserved areas could benefit from more available physicians. Medicare would bear the cost of funding these additional positions. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee (as of the 119th Congress), meaning it has been introduced but hasn't advanced to a full chamber vote yet.
CRS Official Summary
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025This 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.The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2026-FY2032; 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.
Latest Action
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.