On Jan. 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the first award of 200 direct graduate medical education (DGME) and indirect medical education (IME) slots of the 1,000 slots created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, P.L. 116-260). The CMS posted a list of awards to the DGME website under the Section 126 tab, along with an updated FAQ document.
In a statement, the CMS noted that 100 teaching hospitals in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received awards. The application period for the 200 fiscal year (FY) 2024 slots will open in the coming weeks, with applications due by March 31.
The 1,000 slots added by the CAA will be distributed to four categories of hospitals: hospitals over their cap, rural hospitals, hospitals in states with new medical schools or branch campuses as of Jan. 1, 2000, and hospitals that serve Health Professional Shortage Areas. The CMS will distribute up to 200 slots per year over five years, beginning with the FY 2023 award.