1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

The House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel has launched an investigation into the medical residency system over concerns that restrictions on hiring practices may be suppressing wages for aspiring doctors and contributing to physician shortages. The committee seeks information from major groups like the American Medical Association, National Resident Matching Program, and leading university hospitals. Congress granted an antitrust exemption to the residency system in 2004, but there are now worries this has distorted the market to the detriment of doctors and patients. Despite a nationwide doctor shortage, resident wages have remained stagnant for years. The committee is requesting records since 2021 related to complaints about the matching process, compensation limits, resident working conditions, and the movement of residents between programs. The probe aims to determine whether the residency system's policies, shielded from antitrust scrutiny, undermine fair market competition and mobility for medical graduates. Ensuring a properly functioning residency employment market is crucial for supporting the medical workforce and patient care across the country. This investigation seeks to shed light on potential anticompetitive factors impacting the critical residency training pathway.