Our Doctors First Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Greg Steube

The bill would prohibit Medicare GME payments for residency costs attributable to non-U.S. citizens or non-nationals.

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 8943 (119th Congress)

Purpose and Intent

HR 8943 seeks to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to change Medicare’s coverage of graduate medical education (GME) costs.

Specifically, it would prohibit Medicare payments for GME costs attributable to individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States.

In short, the bill aims to restrict federal funding for training physicians who are not U.S. citizens or nationals.

Key Provisions and Changes

Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) to disallow payments for GME costs tied to non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. nationals.

The scope appears to be limited to the Medicare program’s GME financing for residency training costs.

The bill does not specify details on how “attributable” costs would be allocated or verified beyond the citizenship/nationality criterion; the precise administrative mechanisms (e.g., certification, reporting, auditing) are not described in the summary provided.

It does not appear to alter other Medicare GME funding components that are not attributed to non-citizens/non-nationals, but that requires reading the full text to confirm any nuanced allocations.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Medicare Program/Devoted Institutions: Hospitals and facilities that participate in Medicare GME funding would be affected insofar as they train residents who are not U.S. citizens or nationals and previously could have received Medicare GME payments for those residents.

Medical Residents/ trainees: Non-U.S. citizens or non-nationals seeking or holding residency positions could be indirectly affected because Medicare GME support for their training costs would be eliminated.

U.S. Taxpayers and Federal Budget: Potential reduction in Medicare GME funding expenditures attributable to non-citizen/non-national residents; overall budgetary impact would depend on the share of GME costs associated with such individuals.

Healthcare Institutions: Could influence workforce planning and residency program financing, possibly affecting program capacity if alternative funding sources are not readily available.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Introduced in the House and referred on May 20, 2026.

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and, in addition, to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (for consideration of provisions within those committees’ jurisdictions).

Both committees have a period to consider provisions as determined by the Speaker.

Co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube (as indicated).

Notes and Considerations

The summary provided does not include the bill’s estimated fiscal impact, transition rules, or detailed enforcement/modification timelines.

If enacted, the policy would represent a shift in how Medicare funds are allocated for GME and could influence national discussions on immigration, workforce supply in health care, and the financing of medical education.

To fully understand implementation, one would need the full text to review definitions (e.g., “citizens or nationals,” “attributable to”), effective dates, any grandfathering provisions, and any exceptions or waivers.

If you’d like, I can pull the full text or committee estimates (once available) to provide more precise details on implementation timelines and fiscal impact.