Ex-HHS sec urges merit-based visas to solve U.S. healthcare shortage
WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES — Former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, MD, is calling for urgent immigration reforms to address the worsening shortage of healthcare workers across the United States.
In an interview with HealthExec, Price emphasized that a merit-based visa system could help recruit thousands of skilled medical professionals from abroad, easing a crisis decades in the making.
Healthcare staffing shortages reach critical levels
The healthcare system in the U.S. is experiencing a shortage of medical staff at every stage, such as doctors and home health aides, mainly in rural areas.
According to Price, creating a system that puts a greater emphasis on skilled health workers in immigration could close these gaps quickly. To resolve this, the Conrad 30 program offers an opportunity for medical doctors to remain working in regions with shortages.
Price stressed that current visa rules force many foreign-trained medical professionals to leave after residency, despite hospitals needing them. “Roughly 1.5 million individuals in our healthcare education system are not native-born Americans,” he said.
Reforms could retain these workers, especially in high-need areas, where shortages delay critical care for patients.
Bipartisan support for merit-based visa reform
Despite political divides, Price believes healthcare immigration reform has rare bipartisan appeal. “This is not just a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It’s not just a legislative branch or an executive branch issue,” he said.
The DOCTORS Act and similar measures already have cross-party backing, signaling potential for swift legislative action if stakeholders push Congress.
Price urged medical societies and patients to lobby lawmakers, warning that delays will worsen shortages. The U.S. could face 90,000 to 180,000 fewer doctors by the 2030s, per projections.
“Policymakers can define where these individuals would have to serve. So they could say that 60%, 80%, [or] whatever percent it is, must go to an underserved area, must go to a rural area, or to an area where there are shortages of those specialists in an urban area,” he said, emphasizing the need to broaden services, especially those to the disadvantaged areas.
