Bipartisan bill would exempt radiologists from new $100,000 visa fee
Members of the U.S. House have introduced a bipartisan bill that would exempt radiologists and other physicians from a new $100,000 visa fee.
The White House first introduced the new charge as part of a executive order issued in September, aimed at curbing immigration. President Donald Trump’s proclamation applies to the H-1B visa program, created to bring temp workers into the country to perform “additive, high-skilled functions.”
Medical societies including the American College of Radiology have fought to exempt healthcare workers from the fee, and members of Congress are now obliging.
“Healthcare access starts with having enough doctors and medical professionals to serve our communities,” co-sponsor and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., said in a statement March 17. “As our nation faces a growing physician shortage, we must ensure that steep fees do not stand in the way of hospitals bringing in the medical talent American patients depend on.”
Others sponsoring the bill include Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga., and Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y. Their effort comes after Lawler and Clarke helped convince 100 members of Congress to join them in urging the Department of Homeland Security to exempt healthcare from the new visa fee.
Those involved note that the healthcare industry relies heavily on the H-1B program to recruit physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers. It’s become especially crucial for rural and underserved communities, which have faced severe workforce shortages. Nearly 87 million Americans live in areas federally designated as lacking enough medical professionals to meet community needs, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
In addition, the H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act also would prohibit the establishment of any additional visa fees, beyond those already created under existing immigration laws. The bill has drawn support from organizations including the AAMC, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and the American Academy of Neurology, among others.
AMA on Tuesday noted that international medical graduates make up about 1 in 4 practicing physicians across the U.S. The new $100,000 filing fee for H-1B petitions has added “significant costs” for both private practices and hospitals, “making it more difficult to hire physicians.” AMA and others believe the fee will exacerbate ongoing shortages. Back in September, the association joined the American College of Radiology, Society of Interventional Radiology and American Society for Radiation Oncology in urging the administration to exempt physicians.
“Medicare patients and people in rural and underserved areas already struggle to get the care they need,” AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said in a statement March 17. “In many such communities, international medical graduates play a vital role in providing care and ensuring patients can see a doctor when they need one. The AMA supports this legislation to ensure the new $100,000 fee does not make it harder to recruit highly skilled physicians.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.