General Assembly’s ‘rural health’ bill could actually sink health care AND NCGOP political fortunes

They claim their masterpiece will “fix” an alleged “doctor shortage” in rural North Carolina by importing a bunch of docs from around the world.  The imports won’t necessarily have to be held to the same training and regulatory standards American-trained and educated physicians are.  In fact, one of the leading GOP sponsors of this legislation let the cat out of the bag:  international groups like The World Health Organization (WHO) will have a whole lot more of a say on who gets to come to this country and practice medicine on us. 

Legislators are scrambling to defend themselves on this legislation — which passed unanimously.  We’ve been told that the members of both chambers got about 20 minutes notice of a vote on the final version — which included the controversial language about the foreign doctor imports.

We’re also hearing that at least three legislators listed as sponsors on the bill are now claiming they are not comfortable speaking in detail about the bill.  WHY sponsor something you don’t fully understand and can’t explain?

Critics of the bill are being derided as “disinformation” distributors.  Yet, no one in authority can produce an example of incorrect information about the bill that has been publicly published.

House and Senate leaders appear to be urging their members to stand firm in the face of serious public ire over the bill.  Both chambers have distributed scripts to be used by legislative assistants in response to constituent calls, emails, and letters.  (We’re told the Senate includes language in their *script* that suggests anyone in opposition to this bill – which only affects North Carolina – is also an opponent of Donald Trump.  *Good luck with that.*) 

The ladies at NC Political Tea are all over this story. If you’re not tuned in there, you need to be.

Worse Than California.   Critics of the reporting on H67 are claiming their bill is no different than what other states are doing:

When you walk into a doctor’s office, an urgent care, or a hospital in North Carolina, you assume the physician standing across from you has passed the same rigorous U.S. exams as every other doctor in the country. You assume they’ve been held to the highest standards of training, safety, and ethics.

Starting in 2026, that assumption is no longer valid.

House Bill 67 (H67), passed in July, makes North Carolina the most lenient state in the nation when it comes to licensing foreign doctors.

Other states that have experimented with international medical graduates (IMGs) have imposed strict guardrails: multiple U.S. exams, long provisional periods, mandatory supervision, and tight oversight. North Carolina?

It enacted the weakest rules in America, leaving its patients exposed to both safety risks and national security threats.

Misleading Comparisons by Lawmakers

Some lawmakers have attempted to justify H67 by comparing it to policies in Florida and Arkansas. But those comparisons fall apart under scrutiny.

Both Florida and Arkansas require U.S. licensing exams, enforced probation periods, restricted countries, and robust oversight—protections North Carolina weakened or bypassed.

H67 is not in line with those models; it undercuts them. […]

Betraying American -trained medical professionals.   Some are placing the blame for H67’s controversial language on TWO senators close to senator Phil Berger:

[…] HB67 began in the North Carolina House, cosponsored by two Republican physicians: Dr. Timothy Reeder of Pitt County and Dr. Grant Campbell of Cabarrus County.

Their original bill was focused narrowly on easing restrictions for doctors relocating from other states. Even in that version, the baseline remained intact: physicians would still need to complete U.S. residencies and pass U.S. qualification exams before practicing independently.

That changed in the Senate. Republican Senators Benton Sawrey of Johnston County and Jim Burgin of Lee County added a sweeping change.

Their new language opened the door for foreign-trained physicians to bypass the same rigorous requirements faced by American doctors.

When the bill returned to the House, Dr. Reeder urged colleagues to approve the Senate changes. He casually labeled the changes “international licensing modernizations.” He said “most changes to the bill had already passed the house,” but never explained to members that the bar had been lowered to allow foreign doctors to practice without U.S. residencies or traditional licensing exams.

Several House members now privately admit they had no idea what they were voting for. They relied on Reeder’s expertise and credibility as a physician, assuming the bill changes were minor technical fixes.

The political fallout could be severe. Many of the Republican representatives who voted for HB67 campaigned on an America First platform, echoing President Trump’s promise to put American workers and patients first, defending U.S. standards.

By voting for this bill, they did the opposite: pushing American-trained doctors aside while fast-tracking foreign practitioners under weaker criteria.

In rural and conservative districts where voters value protecting American jobs and fairness, this contradiction may come back to haunt incumbents at the ballot box.

What Real Solutions Look Like

Claim: “We don’t have enough doctors.”
Truth: We do — but they’re bottlenecked by funding and policy. In 2023, over 3,350 qualified U.S. graduates went unmatched in residency placement. That’s not a talent gap. That’s a political failure.

Claim: “Foreign-trained doctors are just as good.”
Truth: The best can and do pass U.S. exams. HB67 is built to accommodate those who can’t. That’s where patient safety crumbles.

Claim: “They’ll be supervised.”
Truth: In rural North Carolina, “supervision” often means a doctor available by phone, 40 miles away. That’s not protection. It’s paperwork.

What would fix the real problem?

• Fund more residency slots for American grads
• Empower nurse practitioners to practice independently
• Expand rural training programs that actually retain doctors

North Carolina doesn’t need shortcuts. It needs standards. H67 is a bypass around safety, ethics, and common sense. […]

Raleigh is supposed to be “representing” us and our best interests. Stuff like THIS is all about representing the gang that fills your pockets with cash.  Despite the public outcry, Raleigh is battening down the hatches and preparing to fight the *great unwashed* outside the belt-line.

Primaries are coming in March.  They want to fight. Let’s give them a fight.