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H.R. 870 119th Congress House

Physicians for Underserved Areas Act

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make improvements to the redistribution of residency slots under the Medicare program after a hospital closes.

Introduced: January 31, 2025 Introduced by: Susie Lee Democratic · Nevada See on congress.gov
Health Employee hiringHealth personnelMedical educationMedicare
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 31, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 31, 2025
Introduced in House
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What's happening now January 31, 2025

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Physicians for Underserved Areas Act

This bill modifies how a hospital's residency positions are redistributed after it closes for purposes of graduate medical education payments under Medicare.

Under current law, if a hospital with an approved medical residency program closes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must redistribute the hospital's residency positions to other hospitals in the following order: (1) hospitals in the same core-based statistical area as the closed hospital, (2) hospitals in the same state as the closed hospital, (3) hospitals in the same region of the country as the closed hospital, and (4) other remaining hospitals. In order to receive the additional positions, hospitals must demonstrate a likelihood of filling the positions within three years.

The bill removes the requirement that the CMS prioritize hospitals in the same region of the country as the closed hospital. It also requires hospitals to demonstrate a likelihood of (1) starting to use the positions within two years, and (2) filling the positions within five years.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 1044 Identical bill Physicians for Underserved Areas Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Lobbying activity 10

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

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 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Balderson, Troy
Ohio · Jan 31, 2025
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 870: Physicians for Underserved Areas Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-870/
MLA
"H.R. 870: Physicians for Underserved Areas Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-870/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 870, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-870/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 870: Physicians for Underserved Areas Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-870/)
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