Op-Eds from Mike

In Washington, the answer to every problem is often to spend more of your hard-earned dollars. But when it comes to one of the most significant issues facing our health care system, we have a commonsense solution that does not cost taxpayers a dime.

Right now, we are heading toward a massive shortfall of physicians over the next decade. According to a March 2024 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could be short as many as 86,000 doctors by 2036. That includes up to 40,000 fewer primary care physicians and nearly 20,000 fewer surgeons than we will need. And if underserved communities had the same level of access to care as everyone else, we would need up to 200,000 more doctors today just to meet the need.

But we do not have to start from scratch. We already have a group of highly trained, U.S.-educated physicians who are here legally and ready to step in. These are international medical graduates who have completed their training in our hospitals. They know the system, they want to stay, and they are eager to serve the communities where they have trained.

Today, our immigration system requires medical students in the U.S., here on J-1 student visas, to leave the country after they graduate for a period of two years. The Conrad 30 program allows the waiver of this requirement for up to 30 physicians in each state annually, provided they work in underserved communities. The cap has not changed since 1994, and now, three decades later, it is time to modernize this program. That is why I introduced the Doctors in Our Borders Act, a bipartisan bill that expands the program by lifting the cap to 100.

The need is urgent. The same AAMC report shows that 42% of the physician workforce was over 55 in 2021. Many of these doctors will retire in the coming decade. At the same time, the population over age 65 is expected to grow by more than 34%. That means more people who need care, and we’ll have fewer doctors available to provide it.

That is why the Doctors in Our Borders Act has strong bipartisan support and is endorsed by leading health care organizations, including American Medical Colleges, National Rural Health Association (NRHA), Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), College of American Pathologists (CAP), and so many more stakeholders who know the good this change will bring.

One of the driving motivators for my legislative priorities in Congress is supporting middle-class families and working families, many of whom are getting crushed by our national affordability crisis and high taxes. The Doctors in Our Borders Act is precisely the kind of targeted, cost-effective reform conservatives should be championing. It strengthens our workforce, reduces strain on our health care system, improves access to care, and does it without asking taxpayers for more.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/may/20/fixing-health-care-workforce-doesnt-break-bank/