SUBJECT: H.R. 2267 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act
Dear Representatives Crowley and Costello,
On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological
Surgeons, we are writing to endorse your legislation, H.R. 2267, the Resident Physician Shortage
Reduction Act.
As you know, the federal government is the largest single funding source for graduate medical education
(GME), and these contributions are essential to train the best and brightest physicians in the world.
And while each year public funding to support GME tops $16 billion — $10 billion from Medicare; $4
billion from Medicaid; and the rest from contributions through the Department of Defense, Department of
Veterans Affairs, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Institutes of Health —
the nation is facing an acute shortage of physicians due to an aging population and the expansion of
health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). New research from the Association
of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) continues to point to a severe shortage of more than 100,000
physicians by 2030 — with a shortfall of up to 43,100 in primary care and 61,800 in specialty care
(including surgeons). The supply of surgeons, in particular, is projected to have little growth by 2030, but
projected demand is expected to increase, resulting in a shortage of between 19,800 and 29,000
surgeons by 2030. And while medical schools in the U.S. have increased their enrollments, and
additional medical and osteopathic schools have been established, the number of Medicare-funded
resident positions has been capped by law at 1996 levels.
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