Legislators Consider Actions to Alleviate Persistent National Physician Deficiency
The Bipartisan Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025, introduced by Senators Boozman, Warnock, Collins, and Schumer, aims to address the growing shortage of physicians projected to reach up to 86,000 by 2036. The Act seeks to systematically enlarge graduate medical education (GME) funding to expand residency training opportunities, particularly focused on underserved rural and urban areas.
The Act proposes to increase the number of Medicare-supported residency positions by 14,000 over seven years. This increased funding targets both rural and urban areas, with at least 10% of new residency slots reserved for hospitals in rural, medically underserved areas, regions with new medical schools, and those affiliated with historically Black medical schools.
The bill limits hospitals to a maximum increase of 75 additional residency slots over the seven years but prioritizes facilities in shortage areas to encourage more physicians to train and eventually practice in locations with critical care access gaps. Additionally, the bill makes permanent the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, which supports creating new rural training tracks aimed at encouraging physicians to serve in hard-to-reach communities.
The legislation has strong bipartisan support and has a House companion, indicating the existence of a similar bill in the House of Representatives. Organizations like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA) endorse the bill, highlighting its potential to build on previous expansions of federal funding for residency training, improve health care access, and address demographic trends that increase demand for physicians.
The passage of the Act could help stem the shortfall of physicians, a concern for many members of Congress, particularly in rural areas. The Act's goal is to improve health care outcomes for patients everywhere.
It's important to note that the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped the number of residents and fellows in an effort to control federal spending. However, this cap has been a limiting factor in addressing the growing physician shortage. The Act, if passed, could help alleviate this limitation and ensure quality healthcare for all Americans.
U.S. Sen. John Boozman has discussed ways to ensure quality healthcare in rural America on "The Julie Mason Show" on SiriusXM's POTUS Politics channel. The Act's potential to expand federal support for medical education and residency slots is a significant step towards addressing the physician shortage and improving healthcare access for all Americans.
References: [1] AAMC. (2021). The Bipartisan Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021. Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/bipartisan-resident-physician-shortage-reduction-act-2021
[2] AMA. (2021). AMA applauds introduction of bipartisan legislation to address physician workforce shortage. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/ama/press-center/press-releases/ama-applauds-introduction-bipartisan-legislation-address-physician-workforce
[3] Congressional Research Service. (2021). Graduate Medical Education: A Primer. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46150
[4] Kaiser Family Foundation. (2020). The looming physician shortage: A growing concern for rural America. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-looming-physician-shortage-a-growing-concern-for-rural-america/
- The Bipartisan Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025, in the realm of science and general news, aims to address the growing shortage of physicians using federal funding for medical education and residency training, especially in underserved urban and rural areas.
- The legislation, focusing on health-and-wellness and politics, proposes increasing Medicare-supported residency positions and prioritizing rural areas, with hopes that it will improve medical-conditions outcomes for patients nationwide.
- The Act's discussion in forums like "The Julie Mason Show" suggests that it is a signifcant move in the field of politics, promoting quality healthcare, particularly in rural areas, through expanded federal support for medical education and residency slots.
