Graduate medical education is the subject of inquiry in a recent letter from Senate Finance Committee chairman Charles Grassley to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

In his letter to Secretary Azar, Senator Grassley asks for information about how federal GME money is spent and how much is spent, how federal money factors into the broader financing of hospital residency programs, and how the federal government ensures that GME programs engage in best practices.

The letter also questions whether the indirect benefits of operating medical education programs are factored into how much the federal government spends on medical education, how the federal government allocates residency slots based on geographic considerations and physician shortages, and how the cost of educating medical residents is calculated, and how Medicare’s share of that cost is determined.

Many private safety-net hospitals host medical residents and have graduate medical education programs.

See a news release from Senator Grassley’s office that includes the letter to Secretary Azar.