Katko’s bipartisan bill would boost number of Medicare-supported residency programs

U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) signed on as the lead original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation to ramp up America’s supply of medical physicians. 

“Our nation faces a dire physician shortage and we need to do more to allow teaching hospitals and academic medical centers to train more healthcare professionals,” Rep. Katko said on March 21.

In fact, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the United States by 2030 will have a physician shortage of roughly 42,600 to 121,300 physicians, just as the nation’s need for more doctors continues to increase.

Medicare — currently the primary funding source for medical residents — since 1996 has set a cap on the number of residents it funds, which in turn has affected both the numbers of training programs and trainees. 

The Resident Physician Shortage Act, H.R. 1763, sponsored on March 14 by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), would support an additional 3,000 Medicare-supported residency positions annually over the next five years, for a total of 15,000 residency positions.

“This measure adds more residency spots to Medicare’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program to train emerging physicians and ensure communities nationwide have better access to care,” said Rep. Katko, who was joined by 12 other cosponsors of H.R. 1763, including U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).

“I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan measure to help hospitals in Central New York and nationwide recruit and retain medical residents,” the congressman said.  

H.R. 1763 is supported by several doctors and industry professionals, including Dr. Darrell Kirch, president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges; Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association; and Dr. Mantosh Dewan, interim president of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, among others. 

“This much-needed bill underscores not only the critical importance of teaching hospitals and their mission to train medical residents, but also the crucial need to address the nation’s worsening physician shortage,” said Raske. “The entire teaching hospital community thanks Representatives Katko and Sewell for their leadership on this vital issue.”

H.R. 1763 has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.