Press Release

Congressmen Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-7) and Mark Meadows (NC-11) recently introduced The Doctors Helping Heroes Act, bipartisan legislation first introduced last year that will help deal with the serious shortage of doctors the Veterans Affairs system is facing and help decrease wait times at VA hospitals. The bill would allow foreign doctors trained in the U.S. to practice at VA hospitals and in under-served areas where they are sorely needed.

"As a doctor who's worked in the VA system, I've seen first-hand how much our veterans and their families have sacrificed our country," said Bera. "They deserve the best care possible and I'm proud to have worked with Congressman Meadows on this common sense bill to make sure doctors are available to care for our vets. This is just one step we should take to make sure our heroes get the health care they need and deserve."

Experts agree that one of the primary factors contributing to long wait times at VA facilities is the lack of enough physicians to care for aging veterans from the Vietnam War and younger ones who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under current law, most international physicians who are trained in the U.S. on J-1 visas must return to their home country for two years after their residency ends before they can apply for a new visa or a green card. But under the Conrad 30 program, these doctors can stay in the country without returning home if they agree to practice in an under-served area for three years.

The "30" refers to the number of doctors allowed per state to participate in the program. Bera and Meadows' legislation would increase the number of visas allowed per state for doctors to practice at VA hospitals and under-served areas where doctors are sorely needed.

Bera has represented Sacramento County in Congress since 2013. Born and raised in California, he is a physician and the only Indian American currently serving in Congress. He's fighting to rebuild an economy that works for middle class families and to reduce our country's debt in a responsible way. One of Bera's first acts in Congress was to help lead the effort to pass the No Budget No Pay Act, which says if members of Congress don't pass a budget, they don't get paid. As a leader of the No Labels' Problem Solvers, he's working with people from both parties to find bipartisan solutions to our nation's challenges. He and his wife Janine live in Elk Grove with their daughter Sydra. For more updates on Rep. Bera follow @RepBera on Twitter, like Congressman Bera on Facebook, or visit https://www.bera.house.gov.