U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL14) filed legislation today to tackle the doctor shortage in Florida by expanding medical residency positions in the state and other states with a low number of medical residents. Hospitals and medical schools say a physician shortage looms over Florida as demand for health care services is expected to increase.  

U.S. Rep. Castor made the announcement at USF’s National Match Day before 120 medical students opened their envelopes to learn where they will spend their residencies following graduation. The University of South Florida is one of nine medical schools in Florida.

“Medical schools expect to graduate more students, but the number of available residency training slots will not keep up with this trend unless Congress invests in developing our residency programs to meet the health care needs of our aging population,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “Giving teaching hospitals the opportunity to grow their training programs makes sense in their mission to provide quality health care and makes economic sense for Florida because doctors tend to remain in the region where they complete their medical training.”

U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Joe Heck (R-NV3) today introduced the Creating Access to Residency Education (CARE) Act of 2014, which aims to create a $25 million CMS grant program that would allow hospitals in states with a low ratio of medical residents to apply for matching funds to support increases in graduate medical (GME) training slots.

According to a 2013 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Florida had 19 residents in GME training per 100,000 residents, which was below the national averages of 36.6 residents.

The high rate of doctors retiring coupled with the health care overhaul aimed at insuring additional millions of Americans are expected to create greater demand for doctors across the country, and especially in Florida. According to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Florida averages a higher number of physicians who are 60 years and older. In addition, through February, more than 440,000 Floridians enrolled in a health care plan through the Affordable Care Act. This enrollment number placed Florida in the lead among states under the federally-run exchanges, and second in overall enrollment.

“Florida is at the bottom end when it comes to the number of GME training slots and will encounter a physician shortage if our residency programs are not developed,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “If nothing is done, Florida will continue shipping well-educated medical students to other states for their residencies. It is well documented that physicians tend to practice where they have done their residency, and supporting our residency programs helps ensure Florida’s ability to train and retain the caliber of physicians our families and seniors deserve.”

GME programs are mostly funded by the federal government. The Balanced Budget Act in 1997 placed a cap on the number of slots paid by Medicare to teaching institutions. Since then, many teaching hospitals have taken greater financial responsibility for training physicians by funding slots over their caps. The average per-student cost is $145,000 per year, according to a February 2012 briefing by Florida Hospital, which also stated that its GME programs have a $46 million economic impact on the community – in salaries, jobs created, retail purchases and community involvement. The CARE Act will take some of that financial burden off our teaching institutions and allow them to invest in the health needs of their patients and communities.

Since elected in 2006, U.S. Rep. Castor has raised the prospect of physician shortages to the attention of Congress, and has supported multiple proposals to help Florida and other states throughout the country where the capped number of GME slots are not keeping up with growing trends and demands. Rep. Castor serves on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, including the Health Subcommittee. As a member of this subcommittee, she helped to craft the Affordable Care Act and has fought for health care resources for Florida families and businesses. For instance, she ensured a more equitable redistribution of states’ GME training slots, which garnered Florida an additional 325 slots.

Florida currently has 407 residency programs and more than 5,100 residency positions, according to a 2014 report by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability. A 2010 report by Florida’s Graduate Education Committee also states that medical residents are more likely to practice in the state where they completed their GME training than where they went to medical school.

“There has been some progress, but Congress must address this 17-year-old cap on training slots and ensure an adequate workforce of doctors for the health care industry,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “When it comes to developing the physician workforce in Florida, increasing GME training slots must be a priority.”

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