Bucshon, Wenstrup introduce bipartisan, bicameral bill to tackle physician shortages

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) would increase the number of doctors working in underserved and rural areas across America.

The Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021, H.R. 4014, which U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) sponsored and Reps. Wenstrup and Bucshon cosponsored, would address the national physician workforce shortage by “incentivizing teaching hospitals to stand up residency training programs in primary care or specialties facing shortages to train additional physicians in these areas of need,” said Rep. Bucshon.

“Over the past year, our healthcare system has pushed many physicians to their limit with ever increasing demands that could result in a shortage of quality doctors and threaten the ability of Americans to access quality and affordable healthcare if we don’t act soon, especially in rural America,” Rep. Bucshon said on June 18. “This legislation is an important step forward towards addressing our demand for physicians.”

Currently, teaching hospitals have five years from being established to build out their residency programs before the Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency slots paid for by Medicare are capped, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers, which notes that under H.R. 4014, the timeframe for qualifying hospitals would double to 10 years.  

In deciding which residency programs will qualify, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services would consider various factors, including whether an area lacks adequate resources, is experiencing a primary or specialty physician shortage, or does not have enough approved residency training programs, the summary says.

“As a physician who has helped start a residency program, I understand the challenges associated with the process but also know the value in providing training opportunities for our nation’s future health care providers,” Rep. Wenstrup said. “That’s why I’m proud to join in introducing this bipartisan bill that will help us address the growing physician shortage by giving hospitals in rural and other underserved areas the flexibility to build out their GME programs.”

U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) on June 17 introduced companion legislation, S. 2094, in the U.S. Senate.