[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5888 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5888
To establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry
into clinical practice to provide required primary health services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 1, 2012
Mr. Sarbanes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry
into clinical practice to provide required primary health services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Physician Reentry Demonstration
Program Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) According to the American Academy of Family Physicians,
the shortage of primary care physicians will reach 40,000 in
the next 10 years, as medical schools send about half of the
needed number of graduates into primary care medicine.
(2) According to the Association of American Medical
Colleges, the overall shortage of physicians in the United
States is expected to grow to nearly 160,000 by 2025.
(3) Medical schools in the United States train only
approximately 20,000 new physicians every year.
(4) The Department of Health and Human Services estimates
that the United States needs at least 16,000 more primary care
physicians.
(5) According to a survey of 1,600 pediatricians over the
age of 50 conducted by the Association of American Medical
Colleges and the American Academy of Pediatrics, 22 percent of
female pediatricians took extended leave (6 months or more)
from medicine, compared to only 6.5 percent of male
pediatricians. Seventy-one percent of the female pediatricians
who took extended leave did so to care for a child or family
member.
SEC. 3. REENTRY PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIANS.
(a) Activities of the Secretary.--
(1) Establishment of demonstration program.--The Secretary
of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as
the ``Secretary'') shall establish a demonstration program to
assist the development of innovative programs that facilitate
physician reentry into clinical practice to provide required
primary health services (as defined in section 330(b)(1)(A) of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(1)(A)). The
Secretary shall award one grant, on a competitive basis, to an
eligible entity in each of the 10 regions served by a regional
office of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(2) Administrative activities.--The Secretary shall use not
more than 15 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out
this section to work with key stakeholders to--
(A) conduct a national needs assessment with regard
to the supply of physicians who provide required
primary health services, using, to the extent feasible,
information collected for use in other similar
completed or forthcoming studies, such as studies
conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality and the Health Resources and Services
Administration;
(B) develop a database that contains a directory of
programs that help physicians reenter clinical
practice;
(C) disseminate evidence-based assessments and
evaluation tools to measure the basic core competencies
of physicians reentering clinical practice that are
consistent with the guidelines published by the
Federation of State Medical Boards for such physicians;
and
(D) assist State regulatory authorities and
hospital credentialing committees to structure
requirements for physicians to return to clinical
practice in a manner that ensures patient safety while
addressing the burdens on such reentering physicians.
(b) Eligible Entities.--Entities eligible to receive a grant under
this section are the following:
(1) A State.
(2) A hospital.
(3) An academic medical center.
(4) A medical school.
(5) A health center (as defined in section 330(a) of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a))).
(6) A non-profit organization with a demonstrated history
or expertise in providing physician education and with the
ability to offer programs specifically targeted at reentering
physicians.
(c) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this section,
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary
may require.
(d) Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives funds under
this section shall use such funds to assist reentering physicians who
meet the requirements of subsection (e) through any of the following:
(1) Training reentering physicians to reenter clinical
practice.
(2) Paying credentialing fees and other fees that are
necessary for reentering physicians to reenter clinical
practice.
(3) Paying the salaries of reentering physicians.
(4) Providing loan repayment assistance and other financial
assistance, including scholarships and grants for education and
training, to reentering physicians.
(e) Requirements of Participants.--
(1) Service locations.--To be eligible to receive benefits
under subsection (d), a reentering physician who participates
in a demonstration program shall provide required primary
health services at--
(A) a health center (as defined in section 330(a)
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a)));
(B) a Veterans Administration Medical Center if the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies that there is a
shortage of physicians at such medical center; or
(C) a school-based health center (as defined in
section 2110(c)(9) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(9))).
(2) Length of service.--To be eligible to receive benefits
under subsection (d), a reentering physician shall work at a
location described in paragraph (1) for not less than 2 years.
(f) Liability Protections.--A civil action brought against a
reentering physician who participates in a demonstration program under
this section and works at a location described in subsection (e)(1) for
damage for personal injury, including death, resulting from performance
of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions by a reentering
physician acting within the scope of such reentering physician's
participation in a demonstration program, shall be subject to section
224 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233) in the same manner
as a civil action described in subsection (a) of that section.
(g) Annual Review and Report.--For any year during which the
demonstration program under this section is carried out, the Secretary
shall conduct a review and comprehensive evaluation of such program and
shall prepare and submit to Congress a report assessing such program,
including an assessment of the performance of the reentering physicians
who participate in such program.
(h) Reentering Physician Defined.--In this section, the term
``reentering physician'' means a physician, as defined by section
1861(r)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)), who
previously engaged in clinical practice, and who returns to clinical
practice in the discipline in which such person was trained or
certified following an extended period (2 years or more) of clinical
inactivity after such person voluntarily chose to stop practicing.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal year 2014.
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