Congress urged to reauthorize program to retain needed physicians

The AHA today joined 62 other national organizations in urging leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees to pass the bipartisan Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act before the end of this legislative session. The AHA-supported bill would extend for three years the Conrad State 30 program, which allows states to request J-1 visa waivers for foreign physicians to work in federally designated shortage and underserved areas; increase state allocations to 35 physicians per year; and provide flexibility to expand the number of waivers in states where demand exceeds that limit.
 
“For nearly three decades the Conrad 30 waiver program has helped Americans in rural and underserved areas receive medical care from more than 15,000 high-quality physicians in their local communities,” the organizations wrote. “This program is especially critical for specialties that train a high number of international medical graduates (IMGs) who rely on J-1 visas. Without a Conrad 30 waiver, these visas would require United States-trained physicians to return to their country of origin for at least two years, thus prohibiting them from practicing domestically upon completion of their residency and placing their ability to ever practice in the United States in doubt.”