I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4234 
To establish a demonstration program to facilitate physician reentry into 
clinical practice to provide primary health services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2015 
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 primary health 
services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Primary Care Physi-
cian Reentry Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) According to the Association of American 
Medical Colleges— 
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(A) the shortage of primary care physi-
cians will reach 45,000 by the year 2020, as 
fewer than 20 percent of medical students 
choose to enter primary care medicine; and 
(B) the overall shortage of physicians in 
the United States is expected to surpass 
130,000 by 2025. 
(2) Medical schools in the United States train 
only approximately 18,000 new physicians every 
year. 
(3) The Department of Health and Human 
Services estimates that the United States needs at 
least 16,000 more primary care physicians. 
(4) According to a survey of 1,600 pediatricians 
over the age of 50 conducted by the Association of 
American Medical Colleges and the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics, 22 percent of female pediatricians 
took extended leave (6 months or more) from medi-
cine, compared to only 6.5 percent of male pediatri-
cians. Seventy-one percent of the female pediatri-
cians 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.— 
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(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF DEMONSTRATION PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (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 pri-
mary health services. Under such demonstration pro-
gram, the Secretary shall— 
(A) award one grant, on a competitive 
basis, to an eligible entity described in sub-
section (b) in each of the 10 regions served by 
a regional office of the Department of Health 
and Human Services to carry out physician re-
entry projects to assist reentering physicians 
participating in such projects through any of 
the activities described in subsection (d); and 
(B) in consultation with key stakeholders 
and subject to paragraph (2)(B), carry out the 
administrative activities described in paragraph 
(2)(A). 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of para-
graph (1)(B), the administrative activities de-
scribed in this subparagraph are the following: 
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(i) Conduct a national needs assess-
ment with regard to the supply of physi-
cians who provide 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 Re-
sources and Services Administration. 
(ii) Develop a database that contains 
a directory of programs that help physi-
cians reenter clinical practice. 
(iii) Disseminate evidence-based as-
sessments and evaluation tools as such as-
sessments and tools become available to 
measure the basic core competencies of 
physicians reentering clinical practice that 
are consistent with the guidelines pub-
lished by the Federation of State Medical 
Boards for such physicians. 
(iv) Assist State regulatory authorities 
and hospital credentialing committees to 
structure requirements for physicians to 
return to clinical practice in a manner that 
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ensures patient safety while addressing the 
burdens on such reentering physicians. 
(B) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall use 
not more than 15 percent of the funds appro-
priated to carry out this section to carry out 
the activities described in subparagraph (A). 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Entities eligible to receive 
a grant under this section are the following: 
(1) A State (as defined in section 2(f) of the 
Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 201(f)). 
(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 teaching health center. 
(7) A nonprofit organization with a dem-
onstrated history or expertise in providing physician 
education and with the ability to offer programs spe-
cifically 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 con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require. 
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(d) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
funds under this section shall use such funds to carry out 
a physician reentry project to assist reentering physicians 
participating in the project through any of the following 
activities: 
(1) Training such reentering physicians to reen-
ter clinical practice. 
(2) Paying credentialing fees and other fees 
that are necessary for such reentering physicians to 
reenter clinical practice. 
(3) Paying the salaries of such reentering phy-
sicians who are so eligible to reenter clinical practice 
during the period for which such physicians provide 
primary health services at a center described in sub-
section (e)(1). 
(4) Providing loan repayment assistance and 
other financial assistance, including scholarships and 
grants for education and training, to such reentering 
physicians. 
(e) REQUIREMENTS OF REENTRY PHYSICIANS TO 
PARTICIPATE IN PROJECTS.—To be eligible to participate 
in a physician reentry project carried out by an eligible 
entity under this section, a reentering physician shall pro-
vide assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that the phy-
sician will comply with the following: 
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(1) SERVICE LOCATIONS.—The reentering phy-
sician shall provide 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 cer-
tifies that there is a shortage of physicians at 
such medical center; or 
(C) a school-based health center (as de-
fined in section 2110(c)(9) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(9))). 
(2) LENGTH OF SERVICE.—The reentering phy-
sician shall provide such services at such a center, 
consistent with paragraph (1), for not less than 2 
years. 
(f) LIABILITY PROTECTIONS.—For purposes of sec-
tion 224 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233), 
a reentering physician participating in a physician reentry 
project under this section shall be deemed to be an em-
ployee of the Public Health Service working within the 
scope of such employment with respect to primary health 
services provided by such reentering physician at a center 
described in subsection (e)(1) under the terms of such par-
ticipation in such project. The remedy against the United 
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States for a physician described in paragraph (2) who is 
deemed to be an employee of the Public Health Service 
pursuant to the previous sentence shall be exclusive of any 
other civil action or proceeding to the same extent as the 
remedy against the United States is exclusive pursuant to 
subsection (a) of such section. 
(g) ANNUAL REVIEW AND REPORT.—For any year 
during which the demonstration program under this sec-
tion 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 physician re-
entry projects under such program. 
(h) REENTERING PHYSICIANS.— 
(1) DEFINITION.—Subject to paragraph (2), for 
purposes of this section, the term ‘‘reentering physi-
cian’’ means an individual— 
(A) who is a physician (as defined in sec-
tion 1861(r)(1) of the Social Security Act, 42 
U.S.C. 1395x(r)(1)); 
(B) who received training in primary care 
or primary health services, including family 
medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstet-
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rics and gynecology, dentistry, and mental 
health. 
(C) who was previously (and may currently 
be) legally authorized to practice medicine and 
surgery by a State; 
(D) who previously engaged in the clinical 
practice of medicine, but who is not currently 
engaged in the clinical practice of medicine and 
has not been engaged in such practice for a pe-
riod of 2 years or such longer period deter-
mined to be sufficient by the Secretary; and 
(E) who provides assurances satisfactory 
to the Secretary and the respective State licens-
ing board that the individual will return to clin-
ical practice in the discipline in which such indi-
vidual was trained or certified, including, if ap-
plicable, by regaining necessary training and 
certification for legal authorization to practice 
medicine and surgery by a State. 
(2) EXCLUSIONS.—For purposes of this section, 
the term ‘‘reentering physician’’ does not include an 
individual if— 
(A) such individual has failed to complete 
an obligation to provide health care services 
under a Federal, State, or local program (in-
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cluding any period of obligated service under 
subpart III of part D of title III of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l et seq.)); or 
(B) the individual has a debt due to the 
United States. 
(i) PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES DEFINED.—For 
purposes of this section, the term ‘‘primary health serv-
ices’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
331(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
254d(a)(3)). 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016. 
Æ 
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