Legislation Wants to Open Door for Immigrant Nurses, Doctors

Two House Democrats have proposed two pieces of legislation to make it easier for immigrants interested or experienced in the medical profession to practice their profession here in the U.S. The lawmakers said the shortage of nurses and doctors here warrants new steps to allow clinicians from other countries to practice in long-term care and all settings of care.

Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) introduced the “Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act” and the “Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act.” The pair said a 2022 study by the Migration Policy Institute found that 2.1 million college-educated immigrants are unemployed or underemployed, even as sectors like healthcare face mounting workforce shortages, including a projected shortfall of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

How it Would Work

The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would help immigrants, regardless of previous healthcare experience, enter the nursing and allied health workforce by:

• Creating grants for programs that provide training, licensing, certification, and case management for immigrants interested in entering the health care field; and

• Opening eligibility for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to non-U.S.-citizen immigrants.

An estimated 200,000 nurses per year will need to be hired to meet increased demand and replace retiring nurses. This bill supports immigrants entering nursing or an allied health profession, including dental hygienists, dietitians, medical technologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and speech language pathologists.

The Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act would help internationally trained physicians (ITPs) obtain a U.S. medical license by:

• Incentivizing states to create temporary licensing programs allowing internationally educated immigrants with medical degrees to practice under supervision while completing the training and certification needed for a U.S. medical license;

• Establishing guaranteed medical residency slots for ITPs to practice in predominantly medically underserved communities; and

• Providing grants to help cover the cost of exam preparation, testing, certification, ESL classes, and case management for ITPs in need of financial assistance.

The lawmakers said apart from Canada, internationally trained physicians cannot immediately apply to sit for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), and the cost of licensing, test preparation, and certification often puts a U.S. medical license out of reach, even for highly trained professionals.

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.