Southern West Virginia News

Congresswoman Carol Miller, alongside Representatives Diana Harshbarger, Chellie Pingree, Sam Graves, and Don Davis, has reintroduced the bipartisan Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act. This legislation aims to ensure equal opportunities for Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) and Medical Doctors (MDs) in taxpayer-funded physician residency training programs.

“It is imperative that there is full transparency for all federally funded graduate medical education to provide an accurate record of who is getting selected for residency programs," stated Congresswoman Miller. She emphasized that the FAIR Act would improve reporting requirements and ensure fair treatment for osteopathic medical students applying for residency slots.

Congresswoman Harshbarger highlighted the importance of this act in addressing physician shortages in rural areas. "There’s no reason to continue practices that keep qualified doctors from serving the communities that need them most," she said. The FAIR Act promotes transparency and fairness in Graduate Medical Education (GME), with the goal of increasing trained physicians ready to care for communities.

James W. Nemitz, President of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, expressed support for the act, stating it addresses inequalities in residency consideration and ensures access to residency slots for osteopathic students across all specialties.

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, also backed the FAIR Act, noting its potential to increase transparency and address physician shortages. He urged Congress to act on this critical legislation.

Robert A. Cain, President and CEO of AACOM, praised the act as a commonsense solution to inequities in the residency selection process without federalizing medical education or imposing quotas.

The bill seeks to address disparities within Medicare-funded GME programs by requiring annual reports on residency applicants from both DO and MD schools. It mandates acceptance of applications from both types of schools and recognition of their respective licensing exams—COMLEX-USA for DOs and USMLE for MDs. Programs failing to comply with these requirements would face a 2% reduction in their Indirect Medical Education payments annually.