According to a 2022 report by the Georgia Healthcare Workforce Commission, Georgia’s health care industry is expected to need 239,000 new employees by 2032. In reaction to this report, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-GA, is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation designed to reduce the shortage of medical professionals in Georgia.
The Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (REDI Act) would allow recent graduates of medical school to defer their student loan payments without interest while they serve in a medical or dental internship or residency program, aiming to attract more young professionals to go into the medical field.
The bill was first introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen, D-NV, and John Boozman, R-AR.
“There’s no worse nightmare for any family than having a loved one who’s sick but there are not enough doctors or nurses available to help in an emergency,” Ossoff said.
Another report by the Association of American Medical Colleges says the median education debt for medical school graduates was $200,000, and 73 percent of graduates reported having education debt.
Ossoff says this is not the first action he has taken to strengthen health care for Georgia families.
In October, Ossoff says he helped obtain Federal resources to strengthen nurse training programs across Georgia through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). And in 2024, Ossoff delivered $1,205,656 in Federal funding through the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program to help Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory University train and retain more pediatric physicians.
This past February, Ossoff joined Rep. Susan Collins, R-ME, in introducing the Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act to help more veterans in rural areas get transportation to VA health facilities and access the health care benefits they’ve earned.
