Bill 119 HR 1201, also known as the Conrad 30 Waiver Program Improvement Act, aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to increase the number of physicians who may be provided Conrad 30 waivers. The Conrad 30 program allows foreign medical graduates who have completed their residency in the United States to stay and work in underserved areas for a period of three years.
The current Conrad 30 program allows each state to sponsor up to 30 physicians for waivers each year. However, many states have reached their limit and are unable to sponsor additional physicians, leading to a shortage of healthcare providers in underserved areas. This bill seeks to address this issue by increasing the number of physicians who can be sponsored by each state to 35, providing more opportunities for foreign medical graduates to work in areas with a shortage of healthcare professionals.
By increasing the number of physicians who can be sponsored through the Conrad 30 program, this bill aims to improve access to healthcare in underserved areas and address the shortage of healthcare providers in these communities. The bill has received bipartisan support and is seen as a positive step towards improving healthcare access for all Americans.