To address the maldistribution of healthcare providers in South Carolina, the Rural Provider Incentive Program provides financial incentives to qualified healthcare providers who contract to practice in rural and underserved areas for up to 4 years.

 Physicians

 • Practicing in counties with populations less than 50,000 could receive up to $25,000 per year • Practicing in rural areas of other counties or working in federally qualified health centers in urban areas could receive up to $15,000 per year

Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness

Established in 2005, the Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness Program was created to encourage physicians who are completing, or have completed, fellowships in geriatrics and/or geriatric psychiatry to practice in South Carolina by helping them repay their medical school debt. (South Carolina 43-21-200)

• In exchange for the commitment to practice geriatric medicine in South Carolina for at least five years, eligible doctors selected by the Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness Advisory Board receive $35,000 to repay their medical school debt.
• The Geriatric Physician Loan Advisory Board is composed of a representative from: the Medical University of South Carolina; the Medical University of the University of South Carolina; the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education; the South Carolina Medical Association and; a physician who has previously received the award.   
• The Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness Program was the first loan forgiveness program for geriatricians in the nation.

The Commonwealth of Virginia (the Commonwealth) currently participates in the Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS) Grants to States for Loan Repayment. This VA-SLRP is operated by the Virginia Department of Health-Office of Health Equity (VDH-OHE) providing an incentive to qualified medical, nursing, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical (pharmacists) professionals in return for a minimum of two (2) years of service at an eligible practice site in one of the federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in a qualified field of practice in Virginia. VA-SLRP requires a dollar-for-dollar match from the community/Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia will now pay the full match for eligible applicants who are selected by the advisory committee. The maximum award for a four (4) year commitment is $140,000 and shall be for a qualifying educational loan. After the application deadline, a thorough review is conducted in order of the application receipt date to determine initial eligibility; an advisory committee determines final eligibility. Priority VA-SLRP awards are given based on the HPSA scores for counties/cities/populations in Virginia and HRSA requirements, as well as the scoring rubric for equitable distribution. All approvals are based on the availability of funds. The participant shall meet and fulfill all requirements to be eligible for the VA-SLRP.