Bill > HR1127

This bill establishes a demonstration program to provide loan repayment assistance for healthcare professionals who are eligible for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program but are not currently participating in it. The program will offer participants the opportunity to receive loan payments in exchange for working full-time in rural health professional shortage areas for 5 years. Specifically, participants will receive 1/5 of their eligible loan principal and interest paid for each year of service, with the final year's payment covering the remainder of the loan. The total loan repayment is capped at $200,000, and participants must agree to work in a rural health professional shortage area. The bill includes provisions for potential breach of agreement, with a nuanced approach that does not automatically penalize participants who complete the years of service for which payments were made. The demonstration program will run from fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with $50,000,000 authorized annually. At the end of the program, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must submit a report evaluating the program's impact on healthcare access in rural areas. Notably, participants in this demonstration program will not affect the designation of health professional shortage areas during the program's duration.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1127/all-info