New H-1B Visa Fees Spark concerns Over Future of US Healthcare
A recently implemented policy imposing ample new fees on H-1B visas is raising alarms among healthcare professionals and organizations, who fear it could exacerbate existing physician shortages and limit access to care for Americans. The policy, enacted this week, has drawn criticism for perhaps hindering the recruitment and retention of foreign-born physicians, a critical component of the US healthcare workforce.
According to data presented by Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) during a recent Senate hearing, the new order could have a “very serious effect on training of physicians to meet the healthcare needs of Americans.” The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortfall of 124,000 physicians by 2036, with approximately 40% of that deficit concentrated in primary care.
Foreign-born physicians currently comprise roughly 23% of the active physician workforce, according to the American Medical Association, and play a disproportionately large role in providing care in rural and underserved communities. Many of these physicians initially enter the US on H-1B or J-1 visas, often filling specialties that attract fewer US applicants, such as primary care. International candidates currently make up 40% of residents in internal medicine, and receive the same pay as their US-trained counterparts.
Advocates are urging the administration to consider exemptions for healthcare workers.Senator Hassan emphasized that “meeting the healthcare needs of our country clearly is in our vital national interest” and expressed hope for clarifications that would exempt healthcare professionals from the new fees.
Physician Vin Gupta, speaking on MeidasTouch, warned that the impacts of the policy will likely be felt in the coming years, as it takes four to six years for a resident to complete their training. He predicted potential cuts to healthcare access, stating, “people who want to get in or need to be seen by a health system-suddenly, where is the human capital to do it?” Gupta also highlighted the economic realities for hospitals, noting that hiring residents is often more cost-effective than employing fully qualified physicians.
Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, told Bloomberg that the plan “risks shutting off the pipeline of highly trained physicians that patients depend on, especially in rural and underserved communities.”
Expert Reactions:
Immigration attorney Elissa Taub of siskind Susser in Tennessee described the fee as ”an extortion attempt to try to punish US businesses for hiring the workers they desperately need.” She warned that the policy could have devastating consequences for the US healthcare system, potentially leading to it’s “collapse” if healthcare workers are unable to secure H-1B status due to the added financial burden.
Dr. Vin Gupta further pointed out the potential for disproportionate impact on red states, which often rely more heavily on foreign-trained physicians to staff community and rural hospitals – locations less appealing to American medical graduates. He suggested the policy ironically undermines the administration’s stated goals, making it ”more tough” for foreign medical graduates to pursue education and practice in the US.
However, Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX) defended the policy on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “America is a nation, not a jobs program for foreign workers. Our H-1B visa program has been abused for far too long.”
Looking ahead:
The future impact of the policy hinges on whether the administration will grant exemptions for healthcare workers. The coming months will be crucial in determining how this new regulation will reshape the landscape of physician training and healthcare access across the United States.
