On September 30, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Jeff Merkley of Oregon introduced the Health Care Workforce Expansion Act, a bill that aims to create tuition-free health care programs to address the critical shortage of doctors, dentists, and nurses. The bill aims to encourage students to become primary care physicians and encourage dentists to serve rural communities.
“Despite spending nearly twice as much per capita on health care as other major nations, we continue to face a critical shortage of doctors, dentists, and nurses,” Sanders said.
“As the wealthiest nation in the world, we can no longer tolerate a broken health care system where millions of Americans cannot find a provider or must wait months for care.”
The bill proposes over $5 billion in funding for medical, dental, and nursing schools to accommodate growing enrollment. It also includes a $20,000 relocation grant to encourage health care workers to move to rural areas.
Tuition-Free Health Care Degrees
The bill establishes three new financial aid programs—medical, dental, and nursing—with the following key features:
It is only available to students attending accredited nonprofit institutions.
Each student can receive funding for a maximum of eight years.
Grants will convert to loans if the work requirement is not met.
Applicants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The main difference between these programs is the post-graduation work obligation:
Medical Grants: Graduates must have worked as primary care physicians for at least 10 years.
Dental Grants: Graduates must have provided general dental care in rural communities for at least 10 years.
Nursing Grants: No post-graduation service requirement.
Medical and Dental Grants recipients must submit annual employment verification to maintain eligibility and avoid conversion to Stafford Loans.
Funding for Schools and Residency Programs
The bill allocates nearly $5.4 billion to increase student capacity:
Medical School: $2.8 billion
Dental School: $615 million
Nursing School: $1.98 billion
Goals include increasing annual medical school enrollment from 35,000 to 78,750, dental school enrollment from 7,000 to 10,080, and nursing school enrollment from 67,000 to 113,230 by 2030. Funding will also be used to expand residency training opportunities, including internships in community health centers.
Rural Relocation Grants
To attract healthcare professionals to rural areas, the bill provides relocation grants of up to $20,000. Eligible applicants must:
Hold a valid license to practice in the destination state.
Currently practice in a non-rural area.
Commit to at least three years of rural practice.
Recipients who fail to meet the three-year requirement must repay 50% of the grant. Over the next decade, $1.8 billion will be allocated to fund these rural migration incentives.
The Health Care Workforce Expansion Act aims to strengthen access to dental care and broader health care services on-reserve, following the model already adopted in countries like Australia and Canada.
