US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Congressman Adam Smith have introduced two bills aimed at helping immigrant and internationally trained healthcare professionals overcome licensing and training barriers and enter the US healthcare workforce.
The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act and the Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act were introduced on October 1 as lawmakers seek to address shortages of healthcare workers across the country, according to a statement from Smith’s office.
“Skilled doctors, nurses, and other health professionals should have the opportunity to put their training and expertise to work caring for patients,” Krishnamoorthi said. “Our legislation would help qualified immigrants overcome unnecessary barriers to entering the health care workforce while helping communities address critical provider shortages.”
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What Krishnamoorthi-backed bills would change
The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would create grants for programs that provide training, licensing, certification and case management to immigrants seeking to enter the healthcare field.
{{/usCountry}}The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would create grants for programs that provide training, licensing, certification and case management to immigrants seeking to enter the healthcare field.
{{/usCountry}}The legislation would also expand eligibility for the National Health Service Corps to non-US-citizen immigrants.
The bill covers nursing and allied health professions including dental hygiene, dietetics, medical technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and speech-language pathology.
Smith’s office said about 200,000 nurses will need to be hired each year to meet rising demand and replace retiring workers.
The Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act would focus on physicians who received their medical education outside the US.
It would encourage states to establish temporary licensing programs allowing internationally trained physicians to practice under supervision while completing the education, training and certification needed for a US medical license.
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The bill would also establish guaranteed medical residency slots for internationally trained physicians working in predominantly medically underserved communities.
It would provide grants to help cover costs including exam preparation, testing, certification, English-language classes and case management.
Why the legislation has been introduced
The lawmakers pointed to both workforce shortages and the underemployment of highly educated immigrants.
A 2022 Migration Policy Institute study cited by Smith’s office found that 2.1 million college-educated immigrants were unemployed or underemployed. The Association of American Medical Colleges has projected a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034.
Smith said trained healthcare professionals were being prevented from using their expertise because of licensing barriers while patients were facing longer waits for care.
The bills have received support from organizations including World Education Services, Upwardly Global, the International Medical Graduates Academy, Nashi Immigrants Health Board and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
The measures are proposals and would need to pass through Congress before any of the proposed changes could take effect.