government
AMA endorses bill to increase GME slots
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 29, 2012
The American Medical Association has sent a letter of support for a bill by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D, N.Y.) to increase the number of Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions by 15%, or 15,000 positions over five years.
A 1997 budget statute capped the number of residency slots that teaching hospitals could use to be reimbursed by Medicare, which has slowed the growth of GME training programs, James L. Madara, MD, the AMA’s executive vice president and CEO, noted in his letter to Crowley.
The nation could face a shortage of 130,000 physicians by 2025. “The looming budget sequestration cuts, as well as deficit reduction proposals that would reduce federal funding for GME, would further exacerbate” this problem, Dr. Madara wrote, adding that increasing the number of GME slots also would help to tamp down this projected shortfall of physicians. Crowley’s bill, which has received support from other physician organizations such as the Assn. of American Medical Colleges, was referred to the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees.
Other lawmakers, including Rep. Aaron Schock (R, Ill.), have introduced similar bills to boost GME positions.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/10/29/gvbf1029.htm.
