S 1771 IS
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1771
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program of grants to newly accredited allopathic medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 8, 2009
Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. SPECTER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program of grants to newly accredited allopathic medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) According to the Council on Graduate Medical Education, the Nation will face a shortage of about 85,000 physicians by 2020, due in part to the aging population.
(2) The American Academy of Family Physicians recommended in 2006 that to meet the need for primary care physicians in 2020, the United States would have to train 3,725 family physicians and 714 osteopathic physicians annually, with an overall goal of a 39 percent increase in family physicians.
(3) The Association of American Medical Colleges has called for increased enrollment at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited schools from 15 to 30 percent over the 2002 levels by 2015. This increase would boost the number of graduates to about 20,000.
(4) The Federal Government has not supported the expansion of medical education in a major way since the 1960s and 1970s.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR FUNDING OF NEWLY ACCREDITED MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
(a) In General- The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’) shall establish a program of grants to newly accredited allopathic medical schools for the purpose of increasing the supply of physicians.
(b) Use of Grants- Amounts provided under grants under this section may be used to support scholarships, develop residencies, build infrastructure, recruit and retain faculty, and develop research programs for the purpose described in subsection (a).
(c) Allocation- The Secretary shall allocate funds appropriated under this section among newly accredited medical schools based on the following criteria:
(1) First priority shall be given to allopathic medical schools accredited to admit students from fiscal years 2009 through 2014.
(2) Medical schools that enroll larger classes, while maintaining competitive faculty to student ratios, shall receive increased funding based on their size.
(3) Funds shall only be allocated to medical schools that provide accountability and transparency in expending such funds.
(d) Annual Reports-
(1) REPORTS TO SECRETARY- Each medical school receiving a grant under this section shall submit an annual report to the Secretary--
(A) describing the specific uses of the funds received through the grant;
(B) describing how the grant has benefitted the region and the Nation as a whole; and
(C) containing such additional information as the Secretary may require.
(2) REPORTS TO CONGRESS- Not later than the end of fiscal year 2010, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress on the grant program under this section. Each such report shall include an evaluation of the effectiveness of grants under this section, taking into consideration the extent to which such grants have--
(A) increased the supply of physicians;
(B) resulted in greater access to primary and specialty health care;
(C) enabled the creation of new, high-quality, cost-conscious care models;
(D) provided economic regional benefits; and
(E) increased the focus on communications skills of medical students.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $250,000,000 for the 5-fiscal-year period beginning with fiscal year 2010.
Full Text of Legislation