The Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act directs the federal government to study and develop a new system for identifying areas where general surgeons are in short supply. Currently, the nation faces a significant shortage of general surgeons, particularly in rural areas where demand far exceeds available supply, and existing shortage area designations may not accurately capture these gaps. The bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct a comprehensive study within one year examining current methods for identifying surgical shortages and testing a new approach based on hospital service areas and surgeon-to-population ratios, while considering factors like wait times, health outcomes, and travel distances. Based on this study's findings, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may then establish formal regulations to officially designate "general surgery shortage areas" across the country, similar to how health professional shortage areas are currently designated, and will review these designations annually to ensure they remain accurate.
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