Legislative Session Starts; MMA to Focus on 5 Major Issues
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
H-1B Visa Changes Threaten Minnesota’s Healthcare Workforce
September 25, 2025
On September 19, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order that increases the H-1B visa fee to $100,000. Previously, employers paid between $2,000 and $5,000 for each visa, and the fee was dependent on several factors such as company size.
"This action by the administration is very alarming given the many physicians and other healthcare workers who have H-1B visas allowing them to fill essential healthcare roles, particularly in rural and underserved areas," said MMA President Edwin Bogonko, MD, MBA. “This fee increase could really hurt patients’ access to healthcare.”
The AMA issued a statement that it intends to work with the administration to seek a waiver for physicians and other healthcare workers.
H-1B visas allow employers to hire non-immigrant foreign workers in specialty occupations who meet specific criteria, to work in the U.S.
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On the second day of the legislative session, MMA leadership was already advocating for one of its top priorities - minimizing the harm of federal changes to Medical Assistance (MA).
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