Rep. Josh Gottheimer is part of a bipartisan effort to change federal rules to head off a looming shortage of doctors in New Jersey.

He and other representatives say some New Jersey medical education programs lack the adequate number slots needed train as many physicians as New Jersey could use — because they're operating under an out-of-date cap set under federal regulations.

"This bill corrects the cap by allowing hospitals that want to teach, that are stuck in these 1996 levels, to reset," he said.

Retirements and doctors who leave New Jersey will translate into an estimated 2800 fewer doctors in the state by the year 2020, he said.

"Basically, what is happening is we have got great doctors and they are just heading toward retirement age. So we have a huge gap facing us by 2020," he said.

The legislation to raise the doctor cap has bipartisan support among Jersey's delegation. Those back the legislation include Reps. Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, Leonard Lance, Donald Norcross, Ton MacArthur and Bonnie Watson Coleman. And in the Senate, New Jersey Sen.s Cory Booker and Robert Menendez recently introduced companion legislation.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.

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