Cole Introduces the Medical Student Education Authorization Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro202-225-6165

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced H.R. 5428, the Medical Student Education Authorization Act, along with Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV). This legislation would authorize the Medical Student Education (MSE) Program, which provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians in states with the most severe primary care provider shortages, through the Fiscal Year 2028.

After introducing the legislation, the members of Congress released the following statements:

"Data shows that medical students and residents often decide to practice in the same community where they completed their training. Therefore, by providing medical education in rural, tribal, or underserved areas - and increasing recruitment in these places - we can make a difference by increasing the likelihood of access to quality care in these communities in the long term. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act will help to do just that," said Congressman Cole."I am grateful for Congresswoman Titus for her collaboration on this vital legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure relief for communities struggling with shortages of healthcare providers."

"We need a whole-of-government approach to address the physician shortages plaguing communities here in Nevada and across the country. By supporting medical student training in underserved areas, we can invest in the next generation of providers while improving care access to patient outcomes," said Congresswoman Titus.

This legislation is also endorsed by several stakeholders, who offered praise for the bill:

"The American Associations of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) applauds Representatives Cole and Titus for reintroducing the Medical Student Education Authorization Act," said Robert A. Cain, President and CEO of AACOM."Osteopathic medical schools lead the nation in graduating physicians who practice primary care in rural and medically underserved areas. The MSE Program expands opportunities for osteopathic graduates to train in the communities that need them most. AACOM is proud to support this bipartisan bill, which will strengthen the physician workforce and increase access to care in tribal, rural, and underserve communities."

"Health care professionals continue to provide dedicated, high-quality care to our patients and communities. However, ongoing staffing shortages have contributed to increased stress and burnout of care teams. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act would help remedy this by providing grants to public institutions on behalf of higher education to support areas with severe primary care provider shortages. We thank Representatives Cole and Titus for their leadership on behalf of the nation's health workforce," said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, Senior Vice President of Federal Relations, Advocacy, and Political Affairs of the American Hospital Association.

"There is a critical shortage of physicians in rural America, where limited access to care continues to drive poorer health outcomes. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act is a smart, bipartisan investment in the future of our nation's critical health care workforce - one that would expand the pipeline of primary care providers serving tribal, rural, and medically underserved communities," said American Medical Association President, Bobby Mukkamala, M.D."We commend Chairman Cole and Rep. Titus for sponsoring this bipartisan bill and look forward to supporting it as it moves through the legislative process."

"The Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) strongly supports the Medical Student Education Authorization Act, which will help address Oklahoma's physician shortages by expanding training opportunities in rural, Tribal, and underserved communities. We commend Representative Cole for his leadership in securing the future of Oklahoma's healthcare workforce," said OSMA President Dr. Sumit Nanda.

Background:

The Medical Student Education (MSE) Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and was first authorized in an Appropriations bill in 2019, provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians. This program specifically focuses these grants on institutions in states with the most severe primary care provider shortages, as it is widely recognized that the training experience in medically underserved communities increases the likelihood that a physician will practice there.

Since the program's inception, MSE has been a success. In fact, through the program, nearly $337,000,000 in grants has been provided to train the next generation of providers and mitigate these shortages.

However, unfortunately, the MSE Program, because it was first authorized through the appropriations process, has no long-term authorization. As such, the program must be reauthorized annually through the appropriations process. If it is not reauthorized, funded institutions will be subject to financial uncertainty and the risk of sudden funding cutoffs.

The MSE Authorization Act, introduced in the House by Representatives Cole and Titus, would ensure the program remains funded through the Fiscal Year 2028. This legislation is endorsed by the American Associations of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA).

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