Increases the maximum amount of individual awards for the physician loan repayment program and physician practice support program

• Republican2
• Democratic1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Joseph A. Griffo says this is needed

The Doctors Across New York program has been successful in attracting physicians to underserved areas throughout the state. Unfortunately, New York is still experiencing doctor shortages in regions both urban and rural. Additionally, the increasing cost of higher education has simi- larly affected those who are looking to attend medical school; the high cost of an medical school education is forcing individuals seeking to practice medicine to into more lucrative concentrations at the expense of general/family medicine. This bill seeks to further incentivize aspiring doctors to go into general/family practice by increasing the awards provided to them through the Doctors Across New York program. Physicians working in the field of general/family practice are at the fore of an individual's care and it is important that the state grow the number of physicians working in this field. By increasing the award amounts that are offered through Doctors Across New York, the state can increase the number of physicians working in the general/family field of practice and reduce - and eventu- ally eliminate - the number of underserved areas that exist in New York.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.