Bill > HB593

This bill establishes the Rural Physicians Retention Loan Repayment Program to address physician shortages in rural Mississippi by offering financial incentives for doctors to work in underserved areas. The program provides annual loan repayment awards ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 over five years for physicians who work full-time in qualifying rural hospitals or clinics, such as those in super rural ZIP codes, Rural Emergency Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, or specific counties with healthcare access challenges. Eligible applicants must be Mississippi residents with an unencumbered medical license and outstanding educational loans, and they cannot have previously received funds from other state loan forgiveness programs. Recipients are selected on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to recent medical school graduates, current medical students, and physicians in areas that haven't recently benefited from the program. The Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board will administer the program, track recipients' employment for six years, and ensure that the program's expenses do not exceed available funding. A special fund will be established in the State Treasury to support the program, and recipients must maintain their eligibility by working continuously in a qualifying rural healthcare facility throughout each year of the program.

Health and Social Services

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB0593.xml