Healthcare Access Loan Repayment (HEALR) Program

The New York State Medicaid Program is committed to addressing statewide workforce shortages, boosting retention of key high-demand providers, and increasing access to care across the state.

The Healthcare Access Loan Repayment (HEALR) Program is a Medicaid workforce initiative authorized under New York's 1115 Demonstration Waiver, which aims to address shortages in high-demand healthcare roles and boost the availability of critical providers in the healthcare workforce. This program offers student loan repayment assistance to providers in the eligible titles, listed below, who make a four-year commitment to maintain a personal practice panel or work at an organization where at least 30% of the patient panel are Medicaid enrollees and/or uninsured individuals, or that is contracted with a state-designated Social Care Network (SCN) and providing Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) screening, referrals, and/or services (New York's Special Terms and Conditions).

The goals of the HEALR program are to:

• Improve access to critical services for Medicaid members.
• Attract exceptional providers dedicated to delivering high-quality services to Medicaid members throughout the state.
• Strengthen the availability and capacity of the healthcare workforce in New York State.
• Reduce awardees educational debt to boost provider recruitment and retention

By working at a qualified service commitment site, participants in the HEALR program will receive awards paid directly to their loan servicer(s). The HEALR program will increase awardees' financial stability while they make a valuable contribution to communities in need and help to bridge gaps in access to quality care across New York State.

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Eligible Roles and Award Amounts

Eligible Positions	Qualifying Degrees	Maximum Award
Psychiatrists	Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine	Up to $300,000 per awardee
Primary Care Physicians	Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine	Up to $100,000 per awardee
Dentists	Doctor of Dental Surgery Doctor of Dental Medicine
Nurse Practitioners	Master of Science in Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice	Up to $50,000 per awardee
Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialists	Master of Science in Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice

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Participant Eligibility

Individuals must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the HEALR Program:

• United States citizen or eligible non-citizen;
• Licensed to practice within New York State (currently or by the time service commitment begins);
• License in good standing;
• A commitment to serve four years at an eligible service commitment site;
• Qualifying full-time employment (minimum 35 hours per week) with a start date no later than the date the participant's service commitment is signed;
• Have not previously participated in any other student loan repayment program, excluding Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF); and
• Have an outstanding balance due on an eligible educational loan associated with the highest degree earned to obtain the relevant clinical credentials.

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Eligible Service Commitment Sites

Individual facilities can be qualified as a service commitment site for the Healthcare Access Loan Repayment (HEALR) Program if they are either:

1. An active Medicaid-enrolled provider with a patient population that was at least 30% Medicaid and/or uninsured members during one of the last three (3) years.

OR

2. A provider contracted with a state-designated Social Care Network (SCN) that is providing Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) screening, referrals, and/or services.

For a full list of organizations that have been approved as service commitment sites or to access the Workforce Provider Attestation form required to submit an organization for consideration as a service commitment site, please visit: 1115 Workforce Initiatives Service Commitment Site Directory