West Houston News

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) and Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), along with 14 others, have introduced the bipartisan Districting Our Country’s Transfer of Residency Slots (DOCTORS) Act. The bill seeks to address nationwide physician shortages by reallocating unused waivers from the Conrad 30 waiver program to states that have used their maximum number of waivers.

The Conrad 30 waiver program allows foreign-born medical school graduates who came to the United States on a J-1 visa to bypass the requirement of returning to their home country after completing the J-1 exchange visitor program. Each state receives 30 waivers, and as of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, there were 376 unused waivers.

Under the DOCTORS Act, state agencies would be required to report the number of unused waivers they retained at the end of each fiscal year. The Secretary of State would then distribute these unused waivers equally to states that used their maximum 30 slots in the previous fiscal year. This would allow foreign physicians to stay in the United States without increasing the number of visas.

The United States is facing a projected shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033. The DOCTORS Act aims to address this shortage by incentivizing high-quality medical professionals to practice in rural and underserved communities.

Congressman Nehls, a supporter of the bill, highlighted the impact of the Conrad 30 waiver program in his district, stating, "That’s 50 more doctors, who specialize in areas including anesthesiology, cardiology, infectious disease, internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, transplants, urology, and more." He emphasized that reclaiming unused waivers is a common-sense approach to addressing physician shortages without increasing the number of visas.

Congressman Schneider also expressed support for the bill, stating, "The DOCTORS Act is a commonsense measure to ensure unused Conrad 30 waivers don’t go to waste, rather that they help offset physician shortages in states who utilize the program the most."

Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Senate version of the legislation in September 2023. Senator Ernst highlighted the need for qualified healthcare professionals in areas suffering from staffing shortages and burnout.

Senator Klobuchar emphasized the importance of the Conrad 30 program in bringing physicians to underserved areas and stated, "This legislation will allow states like Minnesota that always fill all of our Conrad 30 residency slots the opportunity to have more slots when other states have less demand."

The DOCTORS Act has received support from various organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Dr. Steven P. Furr, President of the AAFP, praised the bill, stating, "The DOCTORS Act is an important step toward addressing the country’s urgent physician workforce shortage." He emphasized that the legislation would reallocate unused waiver slots to states in need of more physicians in rural and underserved areas.

Charlene MacDonald, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the FAH, highlighted the importance of the DOCTORS Act in allowing foreign medical graduates to practice in rural and underserved communities, where they are needed the most.

The American Medical Association, represented by President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, commended the introduction of the DOCTORS Act and stressed the significance of preserving access to healthcare in underserved and rural communities.

The DOCTORS Act has the potential to alleviate physician shortages and improve access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas. By reallocating unused waivers, the bill aims to incentivize foreign physicians to practice in communities that are most in need of their expertise.