CMS Releases Regulations for 1,000 New GME Slots; OME Priorities Included
On December 17, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the second part to its fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule. The final rule establishes policies to distribute 1,000 new Medicare-funded graduate medical education (GME) positions beginning in FY23, the largest increase in residency slots in more than 25 years. The rule also addresses the resident rotator issue and eases rural training track requirements.
Multiple osteopathic priorities are included in the final rule because of direct outreach to CMS by AACOM and more than a dozen colleges of osteopathic medicine, as well as osteopathic GME professionals, residents and students. These priorities include:
- Reserving at least 10 percent of the new GME slots for rural areas;
- Maintaining the hospital eligibility criteria to apply for the new GME slots;
- Increasing maximum award sizes to 5.0 full-time equivalents per hospital per year; and
- Adjusting application deadlines for qualifying hospitals to apply for the new GME slots.
CMS is also seeking comments by February 25 on specific provisions in the final rule. AACOM intends to recommend further changes to benefit the osteopathic medical education (OME) community. For more information, view the AACOM analysis.