Miller Addresses Rural Physician Shortage With Latest Bipartisan Bill

Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) and Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (D-CO), introduced the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act, which would authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development program to continue building a strong pipeline of rural physicians for years to come.

Nearly 20% of Americans live in rural areas, but only 10% of physicians practice in these communities
 
Among current medical residency programs, only two percent of training occurs in rural areas. To tackle this shortage, the Rural Residency Planning and Development program, housed under the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA), awards funding to support start-up costs to establish new rural residency programs. As of November 2023, award recipients have created 39 new accredited rural residency programs or rural track programs and enrolled 306 resident physicians training in rural clinical settings. Codifying this program will be a monumental investment to tackling the rural physician workforce shortage and will help to ensure that rural Americans across the country have access to physicians in their communities.
 
"Access to health care in rural areas is not an option; it’s a necessity. HRSA’s Rural Residency Planning and Development Program is vital to ensure the next generation of rural physicians are being appropriately trained to care for patients and should be codified by Congress. I have been so thrilled to see multiple rural residency programs come to life in West Virginia, including at the Marshall Community Health Consortium in Huntington, and I understand firsthand the impact these programs have on our community. The Rural Residencies Planning and Development Authorization Act will provide certainty for these programs and ensure that we are continuing to invest in our rural health care workforce,” said Congresswoman Miller.

“Rural communities across Colorado deserve to have access to high-quality healthcare without having to travel great distances to receive the care they need,” said Congresswoman Caraveo. “But with only 10% of doctors practicing in rural areas and the acute physician shortage expected to worsen in the coming years, we need to create strong rural medical residency programs to build a pipeline of rural physicians for years to come. I’m proud to work in a bipartisan fashion with Rep. Miller to act on this important issue, and I’m grateful to Sen. Tina Smith for her work to advance similar legislation in the Senate.”
 
“The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds Representatives Caraveo and Miller for their work on introducing the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act. Authorizing this critical program will ensure that rural physician training continues to expand and ultimately improve access to care for rural Americans. To date, RRPD has created 39 new accredited rural residency programs and supported 521 new residency positions in rural areas. NRHA is excited to see these numbers grow because of this legislation,” said Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.

“The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is proud to endorse the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024, and applauds Reps. Yadira Caraveo and Carol Miller for introducing this bipartisan legislation that would play a fundamental role in helping address the critical shortage of physicians across the United States, especially in rural and underserved communities. The United States has a pressing need for more physicians, and this legislation will help bolster the already successful Rural Residency Planning and Development grant program, which has proven to help rural teaching hospitals overcome significant financial hurdles related to starting residency programs – such as faculty recruitment, accreditation, and curriculum development. The AAMC remains committed to reducing the physician shortage and ensuring that teaching hospitals receive the necessary resources to expand rural training initiatives, ultimately helping improve health care access for people and communities nationwide,” said Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, AAMC Chief Public Policy Officer.

Background:

• The United States continues to face a significant shortage of physicians, particularly in rural areas. In fact, the shortage is estimated to fall between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians within the next 12 years. It is also projected that there will be a shortage of over 20,000 primary care physicians in rural areas specifically by 2025. Training, recruiting, and retaining physicians in rural areas will allow rural communities to have access to comprehensive health care services. 
• This legislation is endorsed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the National Rural Health Association. Read the bill text here.