HCR-30, As Adopted Senate, September 12, 2006

            Reps. Newell, Nofs, Vander Veen, Hansen, Taub, Walker, LaJoy, Caswell, Emmons, Kahn, Wenke, Meyer, Stahl, Pearce, Green, Adamini, Condino, Bieda, Proos, Ball, Schuitmaker, Huizenga, Sheltrown, Booher, Shaffer, Jones, Hildenbrand, Stewart, Accavitti, Brandenburg, Brown, Caul, Elsenheimer, Farhat, Gaffney, Garfield, Gillard, Kooiman, Kathleen Law, Marleau, Pastor, Sheen, Alma Smith, Stakoe, Farrah, Mortimer and Zelenko offered the following concurrent resolution:

            House Concurrent Resolution No. 30.

            A concurrent resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to eliminate the Medicare caps on accredited graduate medical education positions for the state of Michigan that were imposed as part of the Balanced Budget Amendment of 1997.

            Whereas, The state of Michigan will experience a more severe shortage of physicians than will be felt in the rest of the country. Michigan is projected to have a shortage of approximately 4,400 or more doctors by 2020. The state's anticipated rate of 12 percent fewer physicians than needed is higher than the projected rate of 8 percent nationally; and

            Whereas, Michigan’s physician residents and accredited graduate medical education positions are filled by Michigan medical students each year at a rate far exceeding the national average, with 92 percent of Michigan's positions filled by our state's medical school graduates and 78 nationally filled by in-state graduates; and

            Whereas, Michigan’s recent analysis of physician licensure information indicates that more than three-quarters of the current physician work force either completed a residency or a fellowship in Michigan. It is understood that to retain physicians in Michigan, these physicians must be offered Michigan-based residencies; and

            Whereas, Without additional accredited graduate medical education positions eligible for Medicare support, Michigan will be forced to turn away out-of-state or international applicants, further limiting the physician work force supply. However, increasing the number of residencies can significantly ease the shortage of physicians in this state and elsewhere; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to eliminate the Medicare caps on accredited graduate medical education positions for the state of Michigan that were imposed as part of the Balanced Budget Amendment of 1997; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.