Student loan repayment program

(a) In general The Secretary shall carry out a loan repayment program under which the Secretary enters into agreements with eligible Health Investment Zone practitioners to make payments on the principal and interest of the eligible educational loans of such practitioners for each year such practitioners agree to provide health care services in a Health Investment Zone. (b) Limitations In entering into loan repayment agreements under this section, the Secretary may not agree to— (1) make payments for more than 10 years with respect to a practitioner; or (2) pay more than $10,000 per year, or more than a total of $100,000, with respect to a practitioner. (c) Relationship to other benefits (1) Counting of payments A payment made to, or on behalf of, an eligible Health Investment Zone practitioner under this section shall be considered a qualifying payment counted toward any total number of required payments for forgiveness or cancellation on an otherwise applicable student loan plan or program under the Higher Education Act of 1965 or the Public Health Service Act, such as under subsection (m) or (q) of section 455 or section 493C of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e; 1098e). (2) No double payments No borrower may, for the same service, receive a payment for an eligible educational loan under— (A) this section; and (B) another federally supported loan program that provides a payment to, or on behalf of, that borrower. (3) No reimbursement An eligible Health Investment Zone practitioner shall not receive a payment or reimbursement under this section for an eligible educational loan that has been forgiven, cancelled, or repaid. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Eligible educational loan The term eligible educational loan means any federally funded or guaranteed student loan, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Education. (2) Eligible Health Investment Zone practitioner The term eligible Health Investment Zone practitioner means a Health Investment Zone practitioner who— (A) agrees to provide full-time health care services in a Health Investment Zone for a specified period that is not less than 1 year; and (B) has 1 or more eligible educational loans.