Rural Physicians Incentive Program
Brochure
The Idaho Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP), authorized by the 2003 Idaho Legislature, was established to encourage primary care physicians to practice in medically underserved areas of Idaho. For the purposes of this program, primary care is defined as family medicine, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics, but if there is a demonstrated high level of need in an eligible area, as determined by the oversight committee, may also include obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry, general surgery and emergency medicine.
Idaho law established the Rural Physician Incentive Trust Fund to facilitate payment of qualified educational debts of rural physicians who practice in areas of the state that are medically underserved and that demonstrate the need for assistance in physician recruitment. The trust is funded by fees assessed to all Idaho students participating in the WWAMI and University of Utah state supported medical education programs.
Collection of the funds from WWAMI and University of Utah medical students started in the fall of 2003. Disbursement of funds for loan repayment began in July 2010.
Qualifying Locations
The purpose of this program is to provide assistance for rural and medically underserved communities in Idaho which can demonstrate difficulty in attracting and maintaining a sufficient physician workforce to serve their population. The applying physician and community sponsoring organization must provide services in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), as determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/. The community sponsoring organization must demonstrate a challenge to recruit and retain physicians.
Benefits and Obligations
Program benefits allow payment of up to $50,000 in total toward qualified educational loans of participating health professionals over a one to five year period of service in an eligible area of need.
Payments are disbursed directly to a physician's lending institution(s) in six-month increments over their designated service period. Disbursements are for $10,000 for each year of service. These benefits are in addition to any salary or other compensation received by the physician until the obligation is satisfied. If an individual is receiving funds from a federal loan repayment program, payments from the Idaho Rural Physician Incentive Program will not begin until the federal funds have been exhausted. State and federal loan repayment benefits may not run concurrently.
Eligibility Criteria
- During the period covered by the award, the physician must be a rural physician providing primary care medicine in an eligible area.
- The physician must be a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and have completed an Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education or American Osteopathic Association residency.
- The physician must be Idaho Medical Board certified/Board eligible, hold an unrestricted Idaho medical license, and be able to meet the medical staffing requirements of the sponsoring organization when applicable.
- The physician must be eligible to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients within the scope of the physician's primary care medicine practice.
Selection and Approval Process
Applications are made jointly by a physician and an organization or institution (i.e., a hospital or clinic) located in the rural community in which the physician wishes to practice. Applications are reviewed for program eligibility by an oversight committee appointed by the State Board of Education and prioritized for participation based on community physician needs and availability of funds. Applications recommended for program participation are submitted to the State Board of Education for final approval. Funding priority is given to Idaho WWAMI or University of Utah graduates who have paid into the Idaho Rural Physician Incentive Program, but other physicians may also apply.
Participation Status
The fund allows for an adjustable number of new loan repayments to be started each year. In FY 2010, four physicians were selected to receive an award through this program.
Forms
Application Window open until March 1, 2012
Each applicant must submit all pertinent information required in order to be considered for an award from the Idaho Rural Physician Incentive Program. Only complete application submissions will be considered; however, it is important to note that a complete application does not guarantee an award.
Donations to the Rural Physicians Incentive Fund may be itemized as charitable contribution deductions on your Idaho and federal income tax returns. Donations do not, however, qualify for the income tax credit for charitable contributions to Idaho educational entities under Section 63-3029A, Idaho Code.
08.01.14 - IDAHO RURAL PHYSICIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM Administrative Rule
The administrative rules constitute the requirements for the Idaho Rural Physician Incentive Program.
