Rep. Sewell and Rep. Fitzpatrick Introduce Bill to Add 14,000 New Doctor Residency Slots
This bill is currently sitting in the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees. It has not seen any action since July 2025, which means it has been stalled for about 11 months. The bill must receive a vote from these committees before it can move forward.
This bill has support from both parties and addresses a problem everyone agrees on. However, it involves new government spending, which can make it harder to pass during budget debates.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small rural hospitals and community health systems that currently train residents beyond their Medicare-funded cap would receive financial relief. One-third of new positions are set aside for these over-cap hospitals, and at least 10 percent go to rural facilities, helping them sustain training programs and physician pipelines without absorbing unfunded costs.
“One-third of such number shall be available for distribution only to hospitals described in subparagraph (B).”
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.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 proposes 14,000 new Medicare-supported GME slots over seven years, starting in 2026. The bill prioritizes rural hospitals, new medical schools, and Health Professional Shortage Areas, with a cap of 75 new positions per hospital.
Introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell and Brian Fitzpatrick, this legislation seeks to combat the national physician shortage by increasing Medicare-funded residency positions by 14,000 over seven years. It ensures at least 10% of new positions are allocated to hospitals in rural areas.
The bill intends to add 14,000 new Medicare-funded resident doctor positions over seven years. While the expansion is seen as a critical step, analysts warn that without structural reform, new slots might still favor urban specialties over rural and primary care counterparts.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
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