July 27, 2001

Children's GME Final Notice Published

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) July 20 published a final notice in the Federal Register [66 FR 37980] setting forth requirements for children's hospitals to receive payments under the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. For FY 2001, the program will pay out $235 million in federally appropriated funds to help compensate for the additional costs children's hospitals incur in educating residents and providing patient care services. The program's requirements and payment methodologies parallel, in large part, the policies used by the Medicare program to make direct graduate medical education and indirect medical education (IME) payments.

The notice addresses a number of issues including: determining resident counts, establishing resident caps, dealing with new children's hospitals, and the methodology for determining IME payments.

Information: Karen Fisher, AAMC Division of Healthcare Affairs, 202-862-6140.