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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT:
Diana Wogan |
State Rep. Josh Shapiro |
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Shapiro bill will help Pa. attract, keep doctors
and strengthen health-care system
Bipartisan bill passes House
HARRISBURG, June 26 -- Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, to strengthen Pennsylvania’s health-care system by encouraging more doctors to practice medicine in the Commonwealth passed in the state House by a vote of 191-9.
"Today the House of Representatives took a major step forward in addressing the health-care crisis in Pennsylvania by ensuring that we will attract and retain high-quality doctors to deliver top-notch health care," Shapiro said.
Shapiro’s proposal (H.B. 1093) would create a medical school loan forgiveness program for primary care doctors and ob/gyns who agree to practice in Pennsylvania for 10 years. Qualified participants would receive reimbursement for 100 percent of the total medical school loan over a 10-year period. If a participant fails to practice in Pennsylvania for the full 10 years, he or she would be required to pay back the payments from the state.
“While the percent of resident physicians in Pennsylvania has increased over the last 10 years, the percent of residents remaining in the state to practice after completing their training has decreased every year over the same period. With the growing demand for health care in the Commonwealth, coupled with a large number of physicians retiring in the next decade, we are facing a crisis that needs to be addressed now. The shortage of doctors is especially acute with primary care doctors and those in obstetrics/gynecology,” Shapiro said. “Providing incentives for doctors to practice in Pennsylvania is vital to our health-care system.”
Dr. John J. Kelly, chief of staff at Abington Memorial Hospital, which is located in Shapiro’s legislative district, echoed that sentiment.
“Any measure which can affect our ability to retain the best and the brightest young physicians would be welcome relief to the serious and growing physician workforce demands in the Commonwealth,” he said.
All across the state, members of Pennsylvania’s medical and health-care community support Shapiro's bill as a way to keep doctors in Pennsylvania and improve access to health care for Pennsylvanians.
Dr. Charles Cutler, governor of the Southeastern Region, Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians said, “We commend and support Representative Shapiro’s efforts to address the crushing burden of medical school debt for young doctors and working to keep our physicians in Pennsylvania.”
James Redmond, senior vice president of legislative services for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania explained, “Studies demonstrate that Pennsylvania needs to take steps to ensure an adequate supply of physicians as workforce levels are not sufficient to meet the increase in demand for services that will result from an aging population and a growing chronically ill population. The expansion of loan forgiveness programs is one important way we can make Pennsylvania more physician-friendly.”
Shapiro is the deputy speaker of the House and represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. For more information about Shapiro, please visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.
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