Creating Access to Residency Education Act of 2015

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants for graduate medical education partnerships in States with a low ratio of medical residents relative to the general population. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Creating Access to Residency Education Act of 2015 2. Graduate medical education partnerships in States with a low ratio of medical residents relative to general population Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 317T ( 42 U.S.C. 247b–22 317U. Graduate medical education partnerships in States with a low ratio of medical residents relative to general population (a) In general The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (in this section referred to as the Administrator (b) Eligibility To be eligible to receive Federal funding under this section, an entity must— (1) be located in a State in which there are fewer than 25 medical residents per population of 100,000; and (2) be a public or nonprofit teaching hospital or an accredited graduate medical education training program. (c) Partnerships In supporting the creation of new medical residency training programs or slots through a grant or contract under this section, an eligible entity may enter into a partnership with a State, local government, community health center, local health department, hospital, or other organization deemed by the entity to be appropriate. (d) Matching funds An agreement awarding a grant or contract under this section shall— (1) in the case of a new or existing medical residency training program in the field of primary care— (A) require the entity awarded such grant or contract to provide one-third of the cost of the slots to be funded through the agreement; and (B) to the extent and in the amounts made available in advance in appropriations Acts, require the Administrator to provide the remaining two-thirds of the cost of such slots; and (2) in the case of a new or existing medical residency training program in any other field— (A) require the award recipient to provide one-half of the cost of the slots to be funded through the agreement; and (B) to the extent and in the amounts made available in advance in appropriations Acts, require the Administrator to provide the remaining one-half of the cost of such slots. (e) Requirements The Administrator shall establish application processes for eligible entities to receive funding under this section, including multiyear commitments to ensure the continued funding of graduate medical education slots for residents in training. (f) Definition For purposes of this section, the Administrator shall define the term primary care (g) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2016, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2017 through 2021. .

Summary: Creating Access to Residency Education Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to award grants or enter into contracts to create or expand medical residency training programs in states where there are fewer than 25 medical residents per 100,000 people. An awardee of a grant or contract provides a lower ratio of matching funds if its residency training program is in the field of primary care.