S. 1044 · 119th Congress
Physicians for Underserved Areas Act
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D
RosenSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill modifies how a hospital's residency positions are redistributed after it closes for purposes of graduate medical education payments under Medicare.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 13, 2025
Physicians for Underserved Areas Act
This bill modifies how a hospital's residency positions are redistributed after it closes for purposes of graduate medical education payments under Medicare.
Under current law, if a hospital with an approved medical residency program closes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must redistribute the hospital's residency positions to other hospitals in the following order: (1) hospitals in the same core-based statistical area as the closed hospital, (2) hospitals in the same state as the closed hospital, (3) hospitals in the same region of the country as the closed hospital, and (4) other remaining hospitals. In order to receive the additional positions, hospitals must demonstrate a likelihood of filling the positions within three years.
The bill removes the requirement that the CMS prioritize hospitals in the same region of the country as the closed hospital. It also requires hospitals to demonstrate a likelihood of (1) starting to use the positions within two years, and (2) filling the positions within five years.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Physicians for Underserved Areas Act
Latest action (Mar 13, 2025): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 13, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.