State awards $48.3M for HEALR student loan repayment program

ALBANY | New York State has awarded $48.3 million for the Healthcare Access Loan Repayment (HEALR) Program, a student loan repayment initiative designed to expand access to care for Medicaid members and uninsured individuals while also attracting providers to critical, high-demand roles across the state. The HEALR Program provides significant financial incentives to qualifying healthcare professionals who commit to four years of employment serving high-need populations. "Every New Yorker deserves access to high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live or how much they earn," Gov. Hochul said. "By helping hundreds of healthcare professionals repay their student loans in exchange for serving communities that need them most, we are strengthening our workforce and making it easier for New Yorkers to get the care they need, when they need it." New York State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri said, "Authorized under New York's landmark 1115 Demonstration Waiver, the HEALR Program is a game-changer for our Medicaid safety net. By directly tackling educational debt, we are not only attracting exceptional providers to high-demand roles, but we are also ensuring that our Medicaid members and those served by our Social Care Networks have reliable, long-term access to the high-quality care they deserve." A total of 352 providers from across New York State were selected for awards from a pool of nearly 900 applicants based on their specialty, geographic location, ability to provide care in a language other than English and other criteria. The awardee cohort includes 99 psychiatrists, 43 dentists, 76 primary care physicians, and 134 nurse practitioners. Certain specialties, including psychiatrists serving children and adolescents and dentists serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, received added priority. Sixty percent of awardees provide services in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area. Forty-five percent of awardees – representing 29 unique languages - provide services in a language other than English. All HEALR awardees must make a four-year commitment to serving New York State Medicaid members and/or uninsured individuals. Maximum award amounts are based on title, with psychiatrists eligible for up to $300,000 in repayment, primary care physicians and dentists eligible for up to $100,000 and nurse practitioners eligible for up to $50,000. While New York State has made significant strides in expanding healthcare coverage, statewide workforce shortages in the health sector mean that even those with coverage may struggle to access the care they need. To address this, New York has created two initiatives through its federal 1115 Waiver – the HEALR Program and the Career Pathways Training (CPT) Program - aimed at bolstering the healthcare workforce in underserved areas. The CPT Program was launched in 2024, with $646 million in federal funding for training and education for career entry and advancement across 13 eligible occupational titles. The CPT Program provides support for tuition, textbooks, and academic and career support services for physical health, behavioral health and social care workers who make a three-year commitment to serving Medicaid members. To date, the CPT Program enrolled more than 14,000 participants. Taken together, these two initiatives represent a nearly $700 million investment in strengthening New York's health workforce and ensuring that New Yorkers have timely access to the care they need. Further information about the HEALR Program can be found by visiting Health Care Access Loan Repayment (HEALR) Program.

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State awards $48.3M for HEALR student loan repayment program

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