Study of Health Care – Montana’s Medical Education, Training, and Incentive Programs

This briefing paper summarizes the programs currently available in Montana to
educate medical students, provide hands-on training, and help doctors pay off
educational debt.

The federal health care reforms that appear poised to pass Congress this year are
widely expected to create a greater demand for health care services. As more people
become insured, they will be more likely to seek medical care — particularly from
primary care providers.

These are the family or internal medicine doctors and other
practitioners who serve as the initial contact for a medical condition and coordinate a
patient’s care. The demand may be greatest in rural and sparsely populated areas
that already have trouble attracting physicians.

The federal reforms contain some measures to address the potential shortfall,
including:

by Sue O’Connell, Research Analyst
Prepared for the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee
January 2010

Full Report: http://leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2009_2010/Children_Family/Assigned_Studies/SJR_35/sjr35-medical-training-and-incentives-jan-2010.pdf

(Many thanks to Alexandra Volkerts Disability Rights Montana http://www.disabilityrightsmt.org for passing this along.)