Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet alongside U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) — members of the Senate Finance Committee and the bipartisan Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) Working Group — released draft legislation to improve the Medicare GME program, which makes payments to teaching hospitals for training residents and fellows in approved training programs. Their bipartisan proposal aims to help increase the supply of physicians and meet the growing needs of communities across the country.
“Rural Coloradans shouldn’t have to travel long distances to see a doctor,” said Bennet. “This bipartisan effort will help teaching hospitals train and retain providers in rural and underserved communities. All Americans deserve access to quality health care – no matter where they live.”
“Workforce shortages are straining our health care system, especially in rural areas, and we must do more to recruit, train and retain doctors in communities across Nevada,” said Cortez Masto. “That’s why I’ve been working across the aisle on this bipartisan proposal to address critical gaps in our physician workforce. I’ll continue working to ensure Nevada families in every corner of our state can access the care they need.”
“Doctors often practice where they do a residency. If it helps to get doctors to practice in rural and low-income areas, let’s put training programs in these areas!” said Cassidy.
“By creating new graduate medical education slots, our bill would expand access to and improve the quality of behavioral health and primary care in rural communities across the Lone Star State,” said Cornyn.
“The physician workforce shortage is threatening the health of Americans, particularly those in rural and underserved communities with fewer primary care doctors, psychiatrists, and other health care providers,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. “I’m pleased that members of the Finance Committee are taking this challenge head-on in a bipartisan way. I will continue to work with them to ensure aspiring physicians are being put on the fast track to work in the places that need them most.”
In 1996, Congress capped funding for physician training through Medicare based on residency numbers, fearing a surplus. Nearly 30 years later, the Health Resource and Services Administration now projects a shortage of over 187,130 physicians by 2037 — including more than 87,000 primary care doctors and over 50,000 psychiatrists. By modernizing Medicare GME, this proposal aims to ensure that every state has the workforce it needs to provide the care every American deserves.
This bipartisan draft legislation would:
- Expand Medicare-supported residency positions in areas and specialties with critical shortages, like primary care and psychiatry.
- Support rural hospitals in building residency training infrastructure.
- Improve federal data collection to better allocate GME funding and address workforce gaps.
The text of the proposed bill is available HERE. A section-by-section summary is available HERE.