The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) recently joined many of our colleagues in supporting the bipartisan, bicameral Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021. Introduced in the House by Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL), Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Congressman John Kato (R-NY), and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), and in the Senate by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Senator John Boozman (R-AR), the legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 per year for seven years, for a total of 14,000 new slots.
A portion of these positions would be targeted to rural areas, health professional shortage areas, states with new medical schools or branch campuses, and hospitals already training over their caps. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, enacted last December, included 1,000 new Medicare-supported GME positions. The gradual GME increase included the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021, which would go even further to address impending physician shortages.
The ACR will continue to monitor and provide updates on the bill’s progress.