H.R. 7198 — Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026

This section states seven congressional findings regarding shortages of physicians, particularly general surgeons, including projected shortfalls of 15,800 to 30,200 surgeons by 2034, rural areas having only 69% of needed general surgeons, and the need for comprehensive research on future workforce demands influenced by factors such as health outcomes, utilization trends, population growth, aging demographics, and delivery system changes.

This section establishes a new section 340J of the Public Health Service Act to define general surgery shortage areas (i.e., urban, suburban, or rural areas underserved by general surgeons) and direct the Secretary, through the Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator, to conduct a study on (1) the accuracy of current health professional shortage area (HPSA) designations for assessing general surgeon availability to underserved populations, (2) alternative measures such as surgeon counts within hospital service areas, and (3) potential designation methodologies—including one using Medicare patient origin data to define surgery service areas, surgeon-to-population ratios, and thresholds for optimal, adequate, shortage, and critical shortage levels that account for wait times, health outcomes, travel times, and other factors without assuming the current national supply is adequate. The Secretary must submit a report on the study to Congress within one year of enactment; consult stakeholders such as medical societies and patient organizations; and periodically publish in the Federal Register data comparing general surgery availability and need across areas, plus any designated shortage lists. The section further authorizes the Secretary, based on the report, to develop a designation methodology through notice-and-comment rulemaking; designate areas accordingly with annual review and revision; publish lists of designations; and apply HPSA procedures for notices, comments, information dissemination, and congressional reports, with stakeholder consultation.