The REDI Act (H.R. 1202/S. 704) is an important component of student loan repayment reform that would be extremely impactful for physicians and the patients they serve. This bipartisan legislation will support our next generation of physicians entering the workforce by helping ease the economic burden of student loan debt.

The REDI Act would allow borrowers who are serving as residents to qualify for deferred interest on their student loans until their program is complete. While many DO and MD residents qualify to have payments halted during residency through deferment or forbearance processes, their loans continue to accrue compounding interest. By not having to navigate the burden of additional interest accruing during residency, physicians will have less pressure to make decisions about where they practice based on their level of student debt, providing additional incentive to practice in rural and underserved communities where they are so greatly needed.