CMS Posts Redistribution of Unused Medicare GME Residency Positions - August 24, 2011

On Aug. 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the list of reductions and increases to Medicare residency positions at teaching hospitals under Section 5503 of the Affordable Care Act. Under this provision, CMS was required to reduce excess residency slots by 65 percent, and then redistribute those unused slots in the following manner:
• 70 percent for hospitals located in states in the lowest quartile by resident-to-population ratio
• 30 percent for hospitals in the top 10 states in terms of Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) population to the total population ratio, and/or to hospitals in rural areas

CMS redistributed roughly 628 indirect medical education slots and 726 direct medical education slots to 58 hospitals out of 87 hospitals that applied. The revised residency caps are effective for portions of cost reporting periods occurring on or after July 1, 2011.