08 LC 28
3841
Senate
Resolution 706
By:
Senators Staton of the
18th,
Adelman of the
42nd,
Harp of the
29th,
Unterman of the
45th,
Tate of the
38th
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the United States Congress and the President to enact legislation to increase
physician residencies funded by medicare in Georgia; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
the average life expectancy in the United States has increased to 80 years of
age, causing an ever-increasing demand for medical care; and
WHEREAS,
one-third (approximately 250,000) of active physicians are over the age of 55
and are likely to retire in the next ten years, while the population will have
increased by 24 percent; and
WHEREAS,
in 2005, the Council on Graduate Medical Education stated in a report to
Congress that there will be a shortage of not fewer than 90,000 full-time
physicians by 2020; and
WHEREAS,
the number of physician residencies has been capped for medicare reimbursement
purposes for over ten years and has not kept pace with the growth or needs of
the population; and
WHEREAS,
medicare is a major source of funding of physician residencies; and
WHEREAS,
a major limiting factor in training new physicians is the lack of residencies
for graduate medical education; and
WHEREAS,
this is particularly critical in a growing state such as Georgia where the
shortage of physicians is acute; and
WHEREAS,
without an increase in the number of doctors being trained in the near term,
there is likely to be a significant crisis in health care in the long
term.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the
United States Congress and the President to enact legislation, such as
H.R. 410 and H.R. 1093, to increase the number of physician
residencies funded by medicare in Georgia in order to ensure that a sufficient
number of physicians may obtain the graduate medical training needed to service
the needs of our population.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Georgia congressional
delegation and President George W. Bush.