Purpose of the Bill

This bill aims to modify and expand eligibility criteria for physicians and medical residents regarding the health professional education loan forgiveness program in Minnesota. It seeks to address shortages in specific medical fields and in underserved areas by providing financial incentives to attract and retain health professionals.

Main Provisions

• Eligibility Expansion: The bill extends loan forgiveness eligibility to physicians practicing or training in hospitalist medicine, along with those in family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and emergency medicine.
• Defining Terms: It clarifies terminology and roles within the healthcare system, such as "medical resident," "midlevel practitioner," and "underserved urban community."
• Inclusion of Additional Medical Fields: The field of hospitalist medicine is explicitly included in the list of specialties eligible for the loan forgiveness program.
• Service Location Focus: By specifying designated rural areas and underserved urban communities, the bill targets regions with shortages of medical professionals.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The existing statute is amended to include hospitalist medicine in the list of eligible medical specialties for loan forgiveness.
• It provides updated definitions to ensure clarity regarding who qualifies under the redesigned eligibility criteria for loan forgiveness.

Relevant Terms

• Loan forgiveness
• Health professional
• Medical residency
• Underserved areas
• Hospitalist medicine
• Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)