Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2388 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3870 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2388
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to encourage, and improve the level of availability of physicians.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vincent Lawrence Dixon60 Lake Street Unit N, Winchester, MA
16	16	01890
17	17	1/17/2025 1 of 3
18	18	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3870 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
19	19	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2388
20	20	By Representative Day of Stoneham (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
21	21	2388) of Vincent Lawrence Dixon for legislation to encourage and improve the level of
22	22	availability of physicians. Public Health.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3621 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act to encourage, and improve the level of availability of physicians.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the
34	34	2following new chapter:
35	35	3 PURPOSE – A variety of circumstances, having developed in recent years, have led to
36	36	4the serious erosion of staffing levels, among physicians, and other senior level health care
37	37	5workers. These circumstances have included the migration of many such workers, into other
38	38	6fields; the retirement of many, and other factors including pressure on work loads, and
39	39	7challenged compensation levels; leading to what, in effect, is a health care system emergency,
40	40	8and crisis. 2 of 3
41	41	9 Recent events, particularly the COVID-19 Pandemic, and other factors, have led to the
42	42	10death of many physicians, and other senior health care workers, further adding to the significant
43	43	11shortage of such staff.
44	44	12 In addition, profound changes in medical treatment modalities, significant lengthening of
45	45	13life spans, of many; and newer recognized diseases, and conditions, have meant that there are
46	46	14some further increases, in the need for physicians, and other senior level related health care
47	47	15workers.
48	48	16 Significantly, Massachusetts has become a world leader in medicine, and health care, and
49	49	17attracts substantial numbers of patients, from across The United States and the World.
50	50	18 Thus, it has become clear that a shortage of physicians, and other senior level related
51	51	19health care workers, is worsening, and is likely to worsen further; adding to crisis type risks, and
52	52	20actual crisis circumstances, in the health care system of our Commonwealth; over a span of some
53	53	21years, going forward. This statute has as its purpose, to address, and help to remedy, these
54	54	22shortages; and provide additional mechanisms, by which individuals, and institutions, can
55	55	23recruit, train, employ, and otherwise stabilize, and seek to improve the physicians, and senior
56	56	24level health care work force.
57	57	25 SECTION 2 – This legislation authorizes the Executive Office of Health and Human
58	58	26Services, and under it, the Department of Public Health, to create a Physicians Scholarship
59	59	27Program.
60	60	28 2a.) This Physicians Scholarship Program (PSP), shall provide a mechanism for all
61	61	29qualified students, who wish to enroll in an accredited Medical Physician Education Program,
62	62	30operated within The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to receive specific assistance in obtaining 3 of 3
63	63	31grant, and/or scholarship aid, to compensate their educational, and related costs, as long as they
64	64	32meet certain specified standards.
65	65	33 2b.) Those students receiving assistance through the Physicians Scholarship Program
66	66	34(PSP), shall attend at least half-time, and preferably full-time, during their academic, and clinical
67	67	35training.
68	68	36 2c.) Such eligible students, shall, upon graduation, commit to no less than four (4) years
69	69	37of full-time service, in a qualified medical institution, and/or health care facility, within the
70	70	38boundaries of Massachusetts, as may be further defined.
71	71	39 SECTION 3 – All such eligible Physicians Scholarship Program (PSP) students, shall
72	72	40receive up to ten (10) years of complete tuition compensation, during their studies in an
73	73	41accredited Physician Medical School Degree Program.
74	74	42 3a.) The Department of Public Health, is authorized to develop such program, and may,
75	75	43as needed, intersect with other agencies of the Commonwealth, to develop additional related
76	76	44standards.
77	77	45 3b.) Detailed records, for students in the program, shall be kept, processed, analyzed, and
78	78	46further reported, together with useful recommendations, for the refinement of the program. This
79	79	47public report, shall be done on a yearly basis.