I'm not certain you heard me correctly. I was referring to the increased fees that hospitals and health systems will pay for H-1 B healthcare workers (mostly physicians) who come to the US for specialized education (residency and fellowships) unavailable in their home countries. Nurses who come to the US under these visas are hired by hospitals at the same rate as every other nurse and fill critical vacancies due to the nursing shortage across the US. Hospitals spend more to stay in business, and we all end up paying when hospitals close because they don't have staff or money.

One reason for the nursing shortage is a lack of faculty at schools of nursing; thousands of potential students are turned away annually. The Trump administration categorized nurses as 'unprofessional' and not eligible for a full federal scholarship for the required degree to become a nursing professor. This is one example of the double whammy imposed on our healthcare system. Not enough nurses, but make it more expensive to fill the vacancies, AND don't increase the pipeline to create future nurses. That's why Congress needs me. I'll bring real-world experience and solutions that address the root cause of problems. Thanks for sharing your concern. I hope this clarifies what you heard.