[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5888 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5888

 To establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry 
  into clinical practice to provide required primary health services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 1, 2012

 Mr. Sarbanes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry 
  into clinical practice to provide required primary health services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Physician Reentry Demonstration 
Program Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 
        the shortage of primary care physicians will reach 40,000 in 
        the next 10 years, as medical schools send about half of the 
        needed number of graduates into primary care medicine.
            (2) According to the Association of American Medical 
        Colleges, the overall shortage of physicians in the United 
        States is expected to grow to nearly 160,000 by 2025.
            (3) Medical schools in the United States train only 
        approximately 20,000 new physicians every year.
            (4) The Department of Health and Human Services estimates 
        that the United States needs at least 16,000 more primary care 
        physicians.
            (5) According to a survey of 1,600 pediatricians over the 
        age of 50 conducted by the Association of American Medical 
        Colleges and the American Academy of Pediatrics, 22 percent of 
        female pediatricians took extended leave (6 months or more) 
        from medicine, compared to only 6.5 percent of male 
        pediatricians. Seventy-one percent of the female pediatricians 
        who took extended leave did so to care for a child or family 
        member.

SEC. 3. REENTRY PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIANS.

    (a) Activities of the Secretary.--
            (1) Establishment of demonstration program.--The Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as 
        the ``Secretary'') shall establish a demonstration program to 
        assist the development of innovative programs that facilitate 
        physician reentry into clinical practice to provide required 
        primary health services (as defined in section 330(b)(1)(A) of 
        the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(1)(A)). The 
        Secretary shall award one grant, on a competitive basis, to an 
        eligible entity in each of the 10 regions served by a regional 
        office of the Department of Health and Human Services.
            (2) Administrative activities.--The Secretary shall use not 
        more than 15 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out 
        this section to work with key stakeholders to--
                    (A) conduct a national needs assessment with regard 
                to the supply of physicians who provide required 
                primary health services, using, to the extent feasible, 
                information collected for use in other similar 
                completed or forthcoming studies, such as studies 
                conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
                Quality and the Health Resources and Services 
                Administration;
                    (B) develop a database that contains a directory of 
                programs that help physicians reenter clinical 
                practice;
                    (C) disseminate evidence-based assessments and 
                evaluation tools to measure the basic core competencies 
                of physicians reentering clinical practice that are 
                consistent with the guidelines published by the 
                Federation of State Medical Boards for such physicians; 
                and
                    (D) assist State regulatory authorities and 
                hospital credentialing committees to structure 
                requirements for physicians to return to clinical 
                practice in a manner that ensures patient safety while 
                addressing the burdens on such reentering physicians.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--Entities eligible to receive a grant under 
this section are the following:
            (1) A State.
            (2) A hospital.
            (3) An academic medical center.
            (4) A medical school.
            (5) A health center (as defined in section 330(a) of the 
        Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a))).
            (6) A non-profit organization with a demonstrated history 
        or expertise in providing physician education and with the 
        ability to offer programs specifically targeted at reentering 
        physicians.
    (c) Application.--In order to receive a grant under this section, 
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    (d) Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives funds under 
this section shall use such funds to assist reentering physicians who 
meet the requirements of subsection (e) through any of the following:
            (1) Training reentering physicians to reenter clinical 
        practice.
            (2) Paying credentialing fees and other fees that are 
        necessary for reentering physicians to reenter clinical 
        practice.
            (3) Paying the salaries of reentering physicians.
            (4) Providing loan repayment assistance and other financial 
        assistance, including scholarships and grants for education and 
        training, to reentering physicians.
    (e) Requirements of Participants.--
            (1) Service locations.--To be eligible to receive benefits 
        under subsection (d), a reentering physician who participates 
        in a demonstration program shall provide required primary 
        health services at--
                    (A) a health center (as defined in section 330(a) 
                of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a)));
                    (B) a Veterans Administration Medical Center if the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies that there is a 
                shortage of physicians at such medical center; or
                    (C) a school-based health center (as defined in 
                section 2110(c)(9) of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(9))).
            (2) Length of service.--To be eligible to receive benefits 
        under subsection (d), a reentering physician shall work at a 
        location described in paragraph (1) for not less than 2 years.
    (f) Liability Protections.--A civil action brought against a 
reentering physician who participates in a demonstration program under 
this section and works at a location described in subsection (e)(1) for 
damage for personal injury, including death, resulting from performance 
of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions by a reentering 
physician acting within the scope of such reentering physician's 
participation in a demonstration program, shall be subject to section 
224 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233) in the same manner 
as a civil action described in subsection (a) of that section.
    (g) Annual Review and Report.--For any year during which the 
demonstration program under this section is carried out, the Secretary 
shall conduct a review and comprehensive evaluation of such program and 
shall prepare and submit to Congress a report assessing such program, 
including an assessment of the performance of the reentering physicians 
who participate in such program.
    (h) Reentering Physician Defined.--In this section, the term 
``reentering physician'' means a physician, as defined by section 
1861(r)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)), who 
previously engaged in clinical practice, and who returns to clinical 
practice in the discipline in which such person was trained or 
certified following an extended period (2 years or more) of clinical 
inactivity after such person voluntarily chose to stop practicing.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2014.
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