Bill Details
View committees (2)
View cosponsors (1)
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would change how Medicare gives out unused medical residency spots when a hospital closes. The goal is to make it easier to move those training positions to hospitals and clinics that can put them to use more quickly, which could help train more doctors in places that need them most. In simple terms, the bill tries to speed up the reuse of these residency slots so they do not sit unused for too long after a hospital shuts down.
- It changes the rules Medicare uses to decide who gets residency spots after a hospital closure.
- When making these decisions, Medicare would look at whether the new hospital is likely to start using the spots within 2 years and fill them within 5 years.
- The bill also adjusts the order of certain ranking rules used in this process.
- The changes would only apply to hospitals that close on or after the date the bill becomes law.
Official Summaries
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.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 870 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 870
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements to
the redistribution of residency slots under the Medicare program after
a hospital closes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 31, 2025
Ms. Lee of Nevada (for herself and Mr. Balderson) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements to
the redistribution of residency slots under the Medicare program after
a hospital closes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Physicians for Underserved Areas
Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE REDISTRIBUTION OF RESIDENCY SLOTS UNDER THE
MEDICARE PROGRAM AFTER A HOSPITAL CLOSES.
(a) In General.--Section 1886(h)(4)(H)(vi) of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)(4)(H)(vi)) is amended--
(1) in subclause (II)--
(A) by striking item (cc) and redesignating item
(dd) as item (cc); and
(B) in item (cc), as redesignated under
subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``Fourth'' and inserting
``Third''; and
(ii) by striking ``item (cc)'' and
inserting ``item (bb)''; and
(2) in subclause (III), by striking ``likelihood of
filling'' and all that follows and inserting the following:
``likelihood of--
``(aa) starting to utilize
the positions made available
under this clause within 2
years; and
``(bb) filling the
positions made available under
this clause within 5 years.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply to the redistribution of residency slots with respect to
hospitals that close on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
<all>