Washington, D.C. (WVDN) – Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) joined Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Sam Graves (R-MO), and Don Davis (D-NC) in reintroducing the bipartisan Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act. This legislation seeks to ensure that taxpayer-funded physician residency training programs provide equal opportunities for both Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) and Medical Doctors (MDs).
Click here for bill text.
“It is imperative that there is full transparency for all federally funded graduate medical education to provide an accurate record of who is getting selected for residency programs. The Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act will improve reporting requirements and ensure that osteopathic medical students are treated fairly when applying for residency slots. The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine enrolls more than 800 students, and the FAIR Act will make certain they are treated fairly when applying to residency programs,” said Congresswoman Miller.
“As president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, I am thrilled to see the Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act introduced for the 119th Congress. Ensuring all medical students have equal access to residency programs is key to solving physician workforce shortages and getting more physicians in all Congressional Districts. The FAIR Act addresses inequalities in residency consideration and ensures that osteopathic students have access to residency slots in all medical specialties. On behalf of WVSOM and osteopathic medical students nationwide, I thank Congresswoman Miller for sponsoring and working on the passage of the FAIR Act,” said James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., President of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
“I represent a very rural part of Tennessee that’s already facing physician shortages. There’s no reason to continue practices that keep qualified doctors from serving the communities that need them most. That’s why I’m proud to lead the reintroduction of this legislation. Congress must ensure our taxpayer-funded residency programs are tapping into the full pipeline of talent — both DOs and MDs — without discrimination. The FAIR Act promotes transparency and fairness in GME, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of trained physicians ready to care for our communities,” said Congresswoman Harshbarger.
“Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) are essential to the physician workforce, particularly in rural and underserved communities, yet unnecessary barriers exist that limit their access to residency opportunities. That’s why the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) supports the FAIR Act, which would increase transparency, address physician shortages, and ensure a more equitable residency selection process. We commend Representatives Harshbarger, Pingree, Graves, Miller, and Davis for their leadership in advancing policies that support rural providers and urge Congress to act on this critical legislation,” said Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association.
“As our nation grapples with a worsening physician shortage, we must eliminate unnecessary barriers that prevent highly qualified osteopathic medical students from accessing residency opportunities,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “The FAIR Act provides a commonsense solution to longstanding inequities in the residency selection process—without federalizing medical education, imposing quotas, or regulating the makeup of residency programs. We are deeply grateful to Representatives Harshbarger, Pingree, Graves, Miller, and Davis for their leadership in advancing a fairer, more transparent system.
Background:
- The bill addresses disparities and barriers within Medicare-funded Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs that often exclude or impose undue burdens on DOs.
- The FAIR Act would require federally funded GME programs to report annually the number of residency applicants from both osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) medical schools, and how many were accepted from each. It would also affirm annually that they accept applications from both DO and MD schools and that, if an exam score is required, both COMLEX-USA (DO) and USMLE (MD) licensing exams are accepted.
- Programs that fail to report this information would be subject to a 2% annual reduction in their Indirect Medical Education (IME) payments.
