U.S. Senate Bill Addresses Montana Doctor Shortage
Montana is facing a shortage of doctors. It s the fourth largest state and our rural landscape requires people to drive hours to visit a physician. In fact, some counties don t have any physicians and many are considered medically-underserved, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Association of American Medical Colleges has previously noted that many rural physicians are nearing retirement, with maybe a quarter of them not practicing by the year 2030.
Montana Senator Jon Tester has introduced the Rural Physician Workforce Production Act in the Senate to try to get more doctors in rural areas. He said part of the problem is the Medicare-funded graduate medical education (GME) system. His bill would lift the Medicare reimbursement payment for rural hospitals to cover the cost of adding doctors who who completing their residencies. The bill would also reimburse larger urban hospitals who would send r
/PRNewswire/ An ambitious and first of its kind effort to increase vaccine usage among rural Americans against COVID-19 was announced today that draws from.