Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the accreditation of osteopathic residency training programs for purposes of graduate medical education payments under the Medicare program.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to modify, with respect to graduate medical education (GME) payments under the Medicare program, provisions related to "approved medical residency training programs" by: (1) specifying that such programs include osteopathic community residency training programs; and (2) replacing the requirement for such programs to include certain postgraduate training in geriatric medicine with a requirement for approval by a certified accrediting body.
Under current law, a "foreign medical graduate" is generally a resident who was not a graduate of a school that meets the standards for accreditation by one of several specified accreditors. (Foreign medical graduates are subject to certain examination requirements for purposes of being counted as residents with respect to Medicare GME payments.) The bill alters this definition such that a "foreign medical graduate" is a resident who is not a graduate of an accredited school.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must certify at least two accrediting bodies for the purpose of accrediting medical residency training programs in allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2373 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2373

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the 
 accreditation of osteopathic residency training programs for purposes 
   of graduate medical education payments under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2017

Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Buchanan) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
 and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the 
 accreditation of osteopathic residency training programs for purposes 
   of graduate medical education payments under the Medicare program.

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

SECTION 1. ACCREDITATION OF OSTEOPATHIC RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR 
              PURPOSES OF GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENTS UNDER THE 
              MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    Section 1886(h)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395ww(h)(5)) is amended--
            (1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
                    ``(A) Approved medical residency training 
                program.--The term `approved medical residency training 
                program' means a residency or other postgraduate 
                medical training program, including an osteopathic 
                community residency training program--
                            ``(i) participation in which may be counted 
                        toward certification in a specialty or 
                        subspecialty; and
                            ``(ii) which has been approved by an 
                        accrediting body certified by the Secretary.'';
            (2) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
                    ``(D) Foreign medical graduate.--The term `foreign 
                medical graduate' means a resident who is not a 
                graduate of--
                            ``(i) an accredited school of medicine;
                            ``(ii) an accredited school of osteopathy; 
                        or
                            ``(iii) an accredited school of dentistry 
                        or podiatry.'';
            (3) in subparagraph (G)(iii), by striking ``Accreditation 
        Council on Graduate Medical Education'' and inserting 
        ``accreditor''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(L) Osteopathic community residency training 
                program.--The term `osteopathic community residency 
                training program' means an osteopathic medical 
                residency training program that primarily relies on 
                physicians who train residents in the residency 
                training program on a volunteer basis while continuing 
                to provide full-time patient care services.
                    ``(M) Multiple accrediting bodies for allopathic 
                and osteopathic medical residency training programs.--
                The Secretary shall certify a minimum of two 
                accrediting bodies for the purpose of accrediting 
                medical residency training programs in allopathic and 
                osteopathic medicine.''.
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