AHA supports legislation adding 14,000 residency slots to address physician shortages

The AHA July 2 expressed support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 3890), bipartisan legislation that would add 14,000 Medicare-funded residency positions over seven years to help alleviate ongoing physician shortages. Sponsored by Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., the bill would direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to increase the number of slots by 2,000 annually from 2026 through 2032. Additionally, the bill would authorize $63.5 million in grant funding for rural hospitals seeking to launch residency programs. Except for 1,200 slots created in 2021 and 2023, the number of Medicare-funded residency positions has been frozen since 1997.