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Deputy Speaker of the Pa. House of Representatives Josh Shapiro It is imperative that we work to reverse the trend of Pennsylvania failing to attract and retain its doctors. In order to counter this trend and keep Pennsylvania's health-care system strong, viable and sustainable we must encourage more doctors to practice medicine in the Commonwealth. My proposal (H.B. 1093), which was the topic of a news conference on Monday, June 4 at the state capitol, will create a medical school loan forgiveness program for doctors who agree to practice in Pennsylvania for 10 years. Those who qualify would receive 10 percent of their total medical school loan debt each year for 10 years. However, if a participant failed to practice in Pennsylvania for the full 10 years, he or she would be required to pay back the payments from the state. While the percent of resident physicians in Pennsylvania has increased over the last 10 years, the percent of residents remaining in the state to practice after completing their training has decreased significantly. With the growing demand for health care in the state and a large number of physicians retiring in the next decade, we are facing a crisis that needs to be addressed immediately.Providing incentives for doctors to practice in Pennsylvania is vital to our health-care system in Pennsylvania. Thankfully, the Pennsylvania health-care community supports this bill as a way to keep doctors in Pennsylvania. Representatives of the Hospital and Healthsystem of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania chapter of the American College of Physicians, and the Pennsylvania Medical Society were in attendance at the June 4 news conference and urged legislators to pass the bill. During the news conference, John Derrickson, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians commended and supported the bill in its efforts to address the crushing burden of medical school debt for young doctors and working to keep our physicians in Pennsylvania. Shapiro is deputy speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. More information about Shapiro is available on his legislative Web site at www.pahouse.com/Shapiro. CapNews Guest Speaker: Archives |
