Radiology groups endorse bipartisan bill to boost specialist counts in rural areas
Radiology societies are expressing their support for a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting physician specialist counts across rural geographies.
Reps. John Joyce, MD, R-Pa., and Deborah Ross, D-N.C., in July introduced the Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act following similar action in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would create a new student loan repayment program, hoping to lure radiologists and other physicians to work in isolated areas facing shortages.
The American College of Radiology (ACR), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recently announced their support for the bill alongside nearly 40 other doc trade groups. They cited previous estimates non-metro areas will experience a 60% shortage of physicians by 2037, as training programs fail to keep pace with demand.
“While the availability of specialty medicine physicians is decreasing, the average amount of debt they carry is increasing,” ACR et al. wrote in an Oct. 2 letter to the bill’s sponsors, noting that 67% of med school students graduate with college debt, at a median amount of $200,000. “These factors make it crucial that Congress take action to help reduce the financial burden on young physicians and incentivize them to practice in those areas of the country with the highest need.”
The Rural Care Act would authorize repayment of student loans for physicians and other advanced-practice providers of up to $250,000 over the course of six years. In exchange, providers would need to practice in rural geographies facing shortages of radiologists and other specialists, ACR noted in a Wednesday news update.
“This substantial time period will encourage these professionals to settle and grow roots in these communities, thereby fostering stable access to care,” ACR, SIR and ASTRO wrote, adding: “We look forward to working with you and congressional leadership to advance and pass the SPARC Act during this 119th Congress.”
Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., previously introduced the Senate version of the bill in April. Others voicing their support last week included the American College of Cardiology, American College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Surgeons, among others.
“Rural communities throughout the country are facing a rising physician shortage, creating barriers to care for patients with already limited options,” Rep. Joyce—a trained internal medicine and dermatology specialist who co-chairs the House GOP Doctors’ Caucus—said in a statement. “By creating a student loan repayment program for specialty physicians serving in rural areas, we can incentivize physicians and bridge the gap caused by the physician shortage.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.