Number: RS22842
Title: Medicaid and Graduate Medical Education
Authors: Elicia J. Herz and Sibyl Tilson, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: Historically, both Medicare and Medicaid have recognized two components of graduate medical education (GME) costs: (1) direct graduate medical education, or DGME (e.g., resident salaries, teaching supervision), and (2) indirect graduate medical education, or IME (e.g., higher patient care costs because of additional tests ordered by residents). There are no federal reporting requirements to document Medicaid GME payments by states. Survey data show that such costs (federal and state) totaled nearly $3.2 billion in 2005, representing 7% of Medicaid inpatient hospital expenditures nationwide. In May 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would eliminate federal reimbursement for both DGME and IME under Medicaid. The rule would also change the way in which the Medicaid upper payment limit for hospital services is calculated, which would further reduce the federal share of Medicaid costs for hospitals. Federal savings from the proposed rule were estimated to be $1.78 billion over five years. P.L. 110-28 (the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act) included a moratorium on further action by the Administration on this proposed rule until after May 25, 2008.
Pages: 6
Date: May 28, 2008