How is GME funded?
GME is funded by multiple mechanisms, including federal, state, and private entities, with the federal government being by far the largest contributor to GME funding. The mechanism by which federal funds flow is through Direct GME (DGME) and Indirect Medical Education (IME).
How Does Medicare pay GME?
Medicare direct GME payments are calculated by multiplying the PRA times the weighted number of full-time equivalent (FTE) residents working in all areas of the hospital (and non-hospital sites, when applicable), and the hospital’s Medicare share of total inpatient days.
How much does Medicare spend on GME?

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that total mandatory federal spending for hospital-based GME in 2018 was more than $15 billion, of which roughly 80 percent was financed by Medicare and the remainder by Medicaid.
What is Medicare GME?
• Direct GME (DGME) is the amount. Medicare pays the hospital for Medicare’s. share of the direct cost of the residency. – Resident salaries, faculty teaching, administration, building maintenance, personnel, etc.
What is the federal government’s role in federal GME?
The federal government offers operational funding subsidies to programs in California. This funding comes to GME programs through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the form of Direct Graduate Medical Education (DGME) payments and Indirect Medical Education (IME) payments.

How long is GME program?
GME stands for “graduate medical education,” more commonly referred to as ”residency” and “fellowship” training. The 3 to 9 years of training allows physicians to specialize and practice independently following medical school.
How is GME calculated?
In general, Medicare direct GME payments are calculated by multiplying the hospital’s updated Per Resident Amount (PRA) by the weighted number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) residents working in all areas of the hospital complex (and at nonprovider sites, when applicable), and the hospital’s ratio of Medicare inpatient …
Why does Medicare fund GME?
Medicare payments for indirect GME costs are called Indirect Medical Education (IME) payments. IME payments are intended to cover the costs of “inefficient” care that may be provided by medical residents.
What are GME payments?
Medicare GME payments cover Medicare’s share of the costs of a hospital’s approved medical residency program. These costs include direct costs of operating a residency program, such as resident stipends, supervisory physician salaries, and administrative costs.
Are medical residents US government employees?
In general, the IRS (and the Social Security Administration (SSA)) has treated medical residents as employees, withholding Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes from their salaries.
How is medical education funded in the US?
Sources of funds include federal and state governments, families or individuals that pay tuition, insurance companies that pay for patient care, and philanthropy. Organizations involved in medical education include medical schools and numerous patient care sites in which students gain clinical experience.
Is GME same as residency program?
Graduate medical education (GME) is a formal, hospital-sponsored or hospital-based training program for individuals who have completed medical school and earned an MD or DO degree. It includes residency, internship, fellowship, specialty and subspecialty programs. 26-31.