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“IMPROVING ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1153-E1154 on June 27, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IMPROVING ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS
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speech of
HON. JOHN ELIAS BALDACCI
of maine
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my support for the bill H.R. 4858, which will extend and expand the J-1 visa waiver program. This legislation is vital for Maine and other states that have difficulties in finding physicians to practice in rural and underserved areas. Workforce shortages threaten access to care for all our citizens, and rural areas in particular face significant obstacles in attracting healthcare professionals. This legislation extends for an additional two years the successful state J-1 visa waiver program.
The ability for states to sponsor foreign physicians began in 1994. Until this authority expired at the end of May, states were able to sponsor 20 physicians a year, allowing them to remain in practice in underserved areas.
Maine's sponsorship of J-1 waiver applicants began in 1997. The State has used close to the maximum number of slots each year. Recently, the State of Maine responded to growing demand by expanding the scope of the waiver program, allowing specialists to apply for J-1 waivers. Additionally, more areas of the state were deemed eligible for such waivers. Consequently, Maine now maximizes its number of available sponsorships. This bill goes the step further to expand the current number of state waivers from 20 to 30, and therefore greatly enhances the ability of my State and many others to meet future needs in underserved areas.
There is some urgency to this matter, because the Department of Agriculture has suspended its processing of J-1 waiver applications. Therefore, this state waiver ability remains the only route left to ensure these primary and specialty physicians remain in underserved areas.
As a Member of the bipartisan House Rural Health Care Coalition, I've been involved in efforts to maintain the current J-1 visa waiver process. This particular waiver program is not a long-term solution to healthcare workforce shortages, but it is providing valuable resources right now to underserved areas.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jerry Moran for introducing this legislation, and encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 4858.
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