The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has secured $84 million to help fund physician resident positions at public teaching hospitals in Texas. These dollars, through graduate medical education payments from Medicaid, are designated for non-state, government-owned and -operated teaching hospitals and will help expand the state’s ability to attract and retain doctors. Texas pursued the funding for non-state, government-owned hospitals through a Medicaid state plan amendment submission to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in December.The dollars are primarily federal funds, with local governmental entities as the source of the non-federal share. Hospitals able to receive this new funding include Harris County Hospital District in Houston, Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville, John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, University Health System in San Antonio, University Medical Center of El Paso and the University Medical Center in Lubbock.
HHSC also is pursuing similar funding for privately owned and operated teaching hospitals. Texas will submit its request for private hospital funding to the CMS this spring. The addition of private teaching hospitals, if approved by CMS, will lead to another surge of funds for Texas hospitals, up to $111 million in payments for the first year. Additional information on Enhancing Funding for Graduate Medical Education is available here.