GNYHA co-signed a letter calling on Congress to address the nation’s worsening physician shortage by passing the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S. 384/H.R. 1763). More than 65 other health care organizations signed the letter, and we are grateful to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for its leadership role in garnering support.
GNYHA is deeply committed to addressing the nation’s physician shortage. Demand for physicians could exceed supply by up to 121,300 physicians by the end of the next decade, according to AAMC projections. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 would increase the number of Medicare-reimbursed residency slots by 15,000 over a five-year period (or 3,000 annually).
GNYHA has long supported this legislation, which was recently reintroduced in both houses of Congress. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senator John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Senate bill, and Representatives Terri Sewell (D-AL) and John Katko (R-NY) introduced the House companion legislation. GNYHA worked vigorously with our allies to ensure that the bill was reintroduced by a bipartisan, geographically diverse group of lawmakers.