Bill > HR7198

This bill, titled the "Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026," aims to address shortages of general surgeons in the United States by requiring a comprehensive study and potential redesignation of "general surgery shortage areas." A general surgery shortage area is defined as any urban, suburban, or rural location where the population is not adequately served by general surgeons. The bill mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), conduct a study to evaluate current methods for identifying physician shortages and explore new approaches, including a specific methodology that involves defining "surgery service areas" based on hospitals and patient data, identifying all practicing general surgeons, calculating surgeon-to-population ratios, and establishing thresholds for optimal, adequate, shortage, and critical shortage levels. This methodology must consider factors beyond just the number of surgeons, such as wait times, health outcomes, travel distances, and patient experience, and importantly, should not assume the current national supply is sufficient. The Secretary will consult with various stakeholders, including medical societies and patient organizations, and must submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. Following this report, the Secretary may establish a new methodology through regulation to officially designate general surgery shortage areas, which will be reviewed and revised annually, with similar public notice and comment procedures as currently used for designating other health professional shortage areas. The bill also requires periodic collection and publication of data comparing the availability and need for general surgery services.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7198/all-info