Ask Congress to increase the Graduate Medical Education Primary Care Residency Slots in Health Manpower Shortage Areas

Most respectufully, we request Mr. President, that you call upon Congress to pass legislation to increase the number of medicare-approved GME residency slots for primary care physicians in designated health manpower shortage areas across the U.S. In the year 2012 there were 25,000 primary care residency positions available and 37,000 graduate of medical schools competing for these positions.12,000 physicians failed to match and get a residency in primary care because of a lack of Medicare-funded GME residency slots.This means that 12,000 physicians will not be able to get licensed to practice medicine in the US because of a medicare systems issue. We request a 2 pronged approach, with half of these new positions be funded by medicare and half of these positions funded by the private sector