What's happening
This bill creates a loan forgiveness program for physicians specializing in geriatric medicine who practice in New York State.
Why it matters
Addresses a growing need for geriatric specialists. By incentivizing physicians to pursue and remain in geriatric medicine, this bill targets the increasing demand for elderly care as New York’s population ages, aiming to prevent shortages in specialized providers for seniors.
Structured support to retain talent in-state. The program requires recipients to be New York residents, practice within the state, and provide direct patient care for up to five years, helping retain medical talent that might otherwise leave for more lucrative or less demanding specialties.
Ensures care for vulnerable populations. Participating physicians must accept Medicare and Medicaid, directly supporting low-income and elderly patients who often struggle to find accessible, quality care.
Built-in accountability and flexibility. The bill includes annual eligibility checks, reporting requirements, and provisions for recovering funds if service commitments aren’t met, while also allowing waivers in cases of extreme hardship or death, balancing program integrity with compassion.
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Who cares
Physicians specializing in geriatric medicine
Eligible New York physicians could receive up to $15,000 annually for up to five years in exchange for practicing in-state and meeting service requirements.
Medicare and Medicaid patients seeking geriatric care
Participating physicians would have to accept Medicare and Medicaid payments and provide at least 35 hours of direct patient care weekly.
- Watching
New York State Department of Health
The commissioner would administer awards, verify eligibility and loan expenses, monitor service commitments and recover money from participants who fail to comply.
New York State Office for the Aging
Its director would consult with the health commissioner on defining geriatric medicine for the program.
Headline styles
Forgive Loans for Geriatric Doctors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6257
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 10 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10
PHYSICIAN LOAN FORGIVENESS
PROGRAM Section 1001. Physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine.
§ 1001. Physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine. 1. Physician loan forgiveness awards shall be issued annually to physicians who agree to practice in the specialty of geriatric medicine as defined by the commissioner, in consultation with the director of the office for the aging.
2. Such participating physicians shall receive an educational loan forgiveness award of up to fifteen thousand dollars per year for a maximum of five years. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to administer such loan forgiveness program.
3. The physician applicant must be a resident of the state, licensed to practice medicine, and certified in the practice of geriatric medicine or have a concentration in that specialty. The applicant must have completed a professional residency program within the five years immediately preceding the period for which the first award would be granted, or be within two years of completion of an accredited residency program in geriatric medicine. The applicant must agree to practice medicine within the state.
4. The commissioner shall establish criteria for the selection of participants in the program. A priority shall be accorded to any appli-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09018-02-7
S. 6257 2
cant who is completing a year of the service requirement and is re-applying for a new award. The commissioner shall verify the physician's eligibility and the physician's total medical educational loan expenses.
5. Within such time as the commissioner shall by regulation provide, a participating physician shall have agreed to practice geriatric medicine for a period of twelve months for each annual payment to be received by the participant. In no case shall the total service required be less than two years nor be more than five years.
6. The commissioner shall develop and secure from each participant, a written agreement to:
(a) practice geriatric medicine;
(b) accept Medicare and Medicaid payments; and
(c) provide at least thirty-five hours per week of direct patient care in the area being served.
If a recipient fails to comply fully with such conditions, the commissioner shall be entitled to receive from such participant reimbursement of such award in an amount to be determined by the commissioner. Any amount which the commissioner is entitled to recover under this subdivision shall be paid within the five-year period beginning on the date that the participant failed to comply with the program criteria. Nothing in a written agreement under this section shall affect the terms of employment of the individual who shall negotiate, separate and apart from the program, his or her salary and other forms of employment with an agency, practice, institution or program in which he or she shall be employed.
7. Any obligation to comply with the provisions of this section shall be cancelled upon the death of the participant. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations to provide for the waiver or suspension of any financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.
8. A participant of the program shall report annually to the department on forms prescribed by the commissioner, as to the performance of the required services, commencing with the calendar year in which the participant begins to practice geriatric medicine and continuing until the recipient shall have completed, or it is determined that he or she shall not be obligated to complete, the program. The commissioner shall have the discretion to waive the filing of a report, excuse a delay in filing or a failure to file a report for good cause shown.
9. Participation in the program shall not prevent participants from being eligible to apply for other programs or awards.
10. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine
Purpose
To create a physician loan forgiveness program for health care practitioners who are certified or concentrate in geriatric medicine.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the Public Health Law by adding article 10 to create a physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine.
Section two provides the effective date.
Justification
The low rate of practicing geriatricians is a national problem. According to projections based on census data, by the year 2030, roughly 31 million Americans will be older than 75, the largest such population in American history. There are roughly 7,000 geriatricians in practice today in the United States. The American Geriatrics Society estimates that to meet the demand, medical schools would have to train at least 6,250 additional geriatricians between now and 2030, or about 450 more a year than the current rate. However, many young doctors are no longer specializing in geriatric care for various reasons.
One reason fewer young doctors specialize in geriatrics is because it is a low paying field that requires years of intensive training. Specifically, geriatric fellowships are required for any physician wanting to enter the field. Adding to the problem, the average medical student graduates with $138,000 in debt, and every year of added education pushes that debt higher. Physicians in internal medicine, family medicine-and geriatrics-earn significantly less and have less predictable work schedules than those in other medical and surgical specialties. According to the Medical Group Management Association, in 2014, the median yearly salary of a geriatrician in private practice was $220,000, less than half a cardiologist's income. Another reason for the specialty being unattractive is according to many in the field, since the health care of older patients is covered mostly by Medicare, the federal insurance program's low reimbursement rates make sustaining a geriatric practice difficult.
In 2005, the legislature of South Carolina instated a Geriatric Loan Forgiveness Program as a way to incentivize US medical school graduates to go into the field in geriatrics. Those interested in pursuing a practice in geriatric medicine or geriatric psychiatry were eligible to apply for the program with the expectation of a five-year service commitment. Since the program's inception in July of 2005, a total of $385,000 has been awarded to 14 physicians, each of which was awarded $35,000 each year for his/her services. In 2009, a Senator of Salt Lake County in Utah acknowledged the rapid growth of the aging population, the lack of geriatric healthcare professionals throughout the state, and felt that it was important that Utah follow South Carolina's lead. Senator Davis worked hard to get Senate Bill 111 passed, which he did successfully, however the requested dollar amount of $500,000 to fund the bill was denied due to budget cuts across the board.
This legislation is one step in encouraging medical students to help New York State meet a very real need for physicians that specialize in geriatrics. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.