Congress Considers More Waivers for Foreign Physicians in Face of Shortage

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought healthcare to the forefront of the American mind, and it’s revealed some areas for improvement. For one, it raised the question of how the U.S. plans to handle the increasing shortage of physicians in the country. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that the U.S. “will have a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033” (The Guardian).

One solution to the problem could be set in motion this year; legislation currently being considered in Congress would allow 40,000 physicians from across the globe to continue their medical careers in the U.S. permanently.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (S.1204) is a bipartisan bill that proposes giving green cards to thousands of immigrant healthcare professionals. Advocates of the bill say that it is the U.S.’s best bet to come up with the thousands of physicians that the country will require in the coming years.

Many international physicians are issued J-1 visas, which are contingent upon being employed, making it difficult to move between different locations or employers. The difficulties that immigrant physicians face trying to establish residency in the U.S. motivate many to practice medicine in other countries. The passage of S.1204 would make the U.S. more enticing to international physicians looking to set up practice abroad.

Click here to read more from The Guardian.