President Obama will propose boosting the National Health Services Corps from 8,900 a year to 15,000 a year over the next five years, as well as spending $5.23 billion to train 13,000 primary care residents over the next 10 years, in his budget next week, administration officials told USA TODAY. The budget, which Obama will reveal Tuesday, marks the first time Medicare funds will be used to increase the number of medical residents, and it's the largest-ever proposed increase of the corps, officials said. The administration hopes to boost both team-based care, as well as send residents out to rural areas and areas with lower access to care, officials said.
