March 19, 2026
A bill has been introduced in Congress (HR 7961) that would remove the $100,000 application fee for foreign healthcare workers seeking H-1B visas to work in the U.S., according to The New York Times. The fee was put into place last fall by the Trump Administration.
The legislation, known as the Welcoming International Success Act (WISA Act), is being championed by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey).
The $100,000 fee could cripple the healthcare field, in which 30% of residents are international medical graduates. The AMA has been working to find exemptions for this fee, given the shortage in healthcare professionals already.
“I live in Flint, Michigan, a very medically underserved place that really depends on international medical graduates," AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, told the Times. “If this doesn’t get fixed, it leaves places like my hometown and other rural communities without enough physicians to take care of that population.”
So far, no Minnesota representatives have signed on to the bill. Physicians are encouraged to contact their representative today to show their support.
April 30, 2026
On April 27, the House unanimously passed a bill authorizing trained pharmacists to initiate, prescribe, dispense, and administer buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
April 30, 2026
On April 27, the House passed a bill, with a 119-12 vote, that removes the current requirement that newly licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) complete 2,080 hours of collaborative practice with a physician as part of their postgraduate training before practicing independently.
April 30, 2026
Last November, UCare announced it would be shutting its doors in 2026, leaving many providers with outstanding claims that had not been paid out.