Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, 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

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

Section 747 (42 U.S.C. 293k) is amended—

(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows: “Primary care training and enhancement”;

(2) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); and

(3) by striking subsections (a) through (d) and inserting the following:

“(a) Program.—The Secretary shall establish a primary care training and capacity building program consisting of awarding grants and contracts under subsections (b) and (c).

“(b) Support and development of primary care training programs.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities—

“(A) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an accredited professional training program, including an accredited residency or internship program, in the field of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics for medical students, interns, residents, or practicing physicians;

“(B) to provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships and fellowships to medical students, interns, residents, or practicing physicians, who are participants in any such program, and who plan to specialize or work in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics;

“(C) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an accredited program for the training of physicians who plan to teach in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics training programs including in community-based settings;

“(D) to provide financial assistance in the form of traineeships and fellowships to practicing physicians who are participants in any such programs and who plan to teach in a family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics training program; and

“(E) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an accredited program for physician assistant education, and for the training of individuals who plan to teach in programs to provide such training.

“(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant or contract under paragraph (1), an entity shall be—

“(A) an accredited school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, public or nonprofit private hospital, or physician assistant training program;

“(B) a public or private nonprofit entity; or

“(C) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).

“(c) Capacity building in primary care.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to establish, maintain, or improve—

“(A) academic administrative units (including departments, divisions, or other appropriate units) in the specialties of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, or geriatrics; or

“(B) programs that improve clinical teaching in such specialties.

“(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant or contract under paragraph (1), an entity shall be an accredited school of medicine or osteopathic medicine.

“(d) Preference.—In awarding grants or contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to entities that have a demonstrated record of at least one of the following:

“(1) Training a high or significantly improved percentage of health professionals who provide primary care.

“(2) Training individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among primary care professionals).

“(3) A high rate of placing graduates in practice settings having the principal focus of serving in underserved areas or populations experiencing health disparities (including serving patients eligible for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act or for child health assistance under title XXI of such Act or those with special health care needs).

“(4) Supporting teaching programs that address the health care needs of vulnerable populations.

“(e) Report.—The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the program carried out under this section.

“(f) Definition.—In this section, the term ‘health disparities’ has the meaning given the term in section 3171.”.