Congress Unveils Legislation to Bolster Physician Workforce

This article was updated on July 31, 2025 to include the introduction of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 (H.R. 4731/S. 2439). 

ACR®-supported legislation that would increase the number of Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) slots by 14,000 over seven years was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate July 24. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025, (H.R. 4731/S. 2439), introduced by Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), in the House, and by Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Senate, would distribute those slots to hospitals across the country, with 10% of them designated to the following hospital categories:

• Hospitals in rural areas
• Hospitals training over their GME cap
• Hospitals in states with new medical schools or new branch campuses
• Hospitals that serve areas designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), with priority to hospitals affiliated with historically Black medical schools

Another version of this bill, H.R. 3890, was introduced earlier this year in the House to increase the number of GME slots and  codify the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) grant program that helps expand the number of trained physicians in rural settings by covering start-up costs, accreditation, faculty development and recruitment. However, H.R. 4731/S. 2439 omits this provision, and Congress will address the RRPD program separately.

This bipartisan legislation was a focus of the broader medical community advocacy efforts, including ACR, in previous congresses through the Association of American Medical Colleges GME Coalition. It is a key strategy to address the growing physician shortage and improve patient access to care.

For more information, contact Ashley Walton, ACR Director of Government Affairs.