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J-1 Visa Project
The purpose of this project is to delineate policy options for continued use of foreign born health professionals in rural areas using the J-1 Visa program. We will prepare a report on the use of the program in recent years, the interactive effects of the J-1 program and the National Health Service Corps, and the needs for health professionals in rural areas. Once the report is complete, the RUPRI Rural Health Panel will review the report and develop policy options for consideration, and will compile a document including background, policy options, and recommendations. That document will be distributed to persons invited to a special meeting to discuss the future use of J-1 Visas. The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis will prepare a summary of the discussion from the meeting.
Publications
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Immediate and Future Role of the J-1 Visa Waiver Program for Physicians: The Consequences of Change for Rural Health Care Service Delivery
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Report Number: Policy Brief 2002-3
Date: 04 / 2002
Examines the consequences for the delivery of health care services in rural underserved areas if current policies governing the granting of J-1 visa waivers are changed and increases or decreases the numbers of physicians affected. Among its findings: J-1 visa waiver doctors provide care to more than 4 million people living in underserved areas of rural America. If all primary care doctors in the program were to leave, the number of rural counties with no primary care physicians would go from 161 to 212. Makes several recommendations: 1) The Department of Health and Human Services--which currently only requests waivers for physicians involved in research-should consider requesting waivers for doctors to practice in underserved areas. 2) Physicians recommended for waivers should be allowed to begin practicing in underserved areas as soon as the request is made. If, in subsequent screening, a problem turns up the waiver would be revoked. 3) The Conrad State 20 Program, which allows the 44 states that participate in it to sponsor waivers, should be expanded from 20 waivers per year to 40.
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