U.S. Government, Heal Thyself: Immigration Restrictions and America's Growing Health Care Needs

This policy brief argues that the growing demand for health care services today and in the future necessitates a more efficient and adaptive immigration system to allow for foreign-born medical personnel to fill gaps in the U.S. health care delivery system.

"U.S. Government, Heal Thyself: Immigration Restrictions and America's Growing Health Care Needs" notes that "the United States is saddled with an immigration system designed to prevent, not facilitate, the entry of highly skilled...medical personnel." A restrictive immigration policy, decades-long wait times and a dearth of even temporary visas for a wide variety of medical professionals are leading to a shortage of workers for an industry that will need to be expanded given the aging U.S. population and the demands of the Affordable Care Act.

The author laments the protectionism of the various professional associations that have opposed expansion of immigration opportunities for foreign-trained doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. He also challenges the "brain drain" argument used by opponents of increased immigration. The brief makes four recommendations:

1. Expand the number of employment-based green cards for foreign-born health care workers so that wait times are reduced;
2. Establish a temporary visa that facilitates the entry of foreign-born nurses;
3. Expand the Conrad 30 Program to include more physicians per state for underserved communities; and,
4. Streamline state licensing and other procedures for foreign-born medical personnel to help with the nation's long-term health care needs.

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