Background

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2025. The REDI act would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers while serving in a medical or dental residency program.

ACP is very concerned with the worsening workforce shortage as the United States faces a projected shortage of up to 141,160 physicians by 2038—including a shortage of over 70,000 primary care physicians . With restrictions on lifetime amounts for student loan borrowers and potential restrictions on Public Service Student Loan eligibility, the typical medical school student and resident faces strong headwinds to obtain and pay for their medical education. The typical medical student accrues approximately $228,000 in education debt when combining medical and  premedical education debt. Other estimates place the average medical-school debt even higher.  These physician workforce shortages coupled with the high cost of medical debt make it imperative to pass legislation to provide deferred payments on interest for medical students.

Action Requested: Please email your members of Congress expressing the need for them to support the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act H.R. 2028/ S.942. A sample message has been provided for you that can be personalized. Please contact Shuan Tomlinson at stomlinson@acponline.org with any questions about this campaign. Thank you for your continued advocacy.