Committee approves limited-license pathway for internationally trained physicians to practice in underserved Indiana areas

The Health and Provider Services Committee voted to pass House Bill 1555 as amended, a measure creating a limited in‑state license for qualified internationally trained physicians to practice in underserved areas under supervision.

What the bill would do: Representative Baird, the bill sponsor, said the measure removes the blanket requirement that internationally trained physicians repeat a U.S. residency and instead allows qualified doctors who meet specified criteria to hold a limited license. Requirements described in committee include: an accredited international medical degree, an active and standing license in their country, completion of a residency judged comparable to U.S. standards, at least five of the six years of practice following residency, successful completion of the U.S. Step 3 exam, facility sponsorship and English proficiency. Limited licenses would be valid for six years; after five years the board may convert a limited license to an unlimited license at its discretion.

Amendments and safeguards adopted

- Amendment 2 addressed timing for osteopathic exam completion (fixing a clock started earlier for some DO applicants).

- Amendment 3 removed foreign-trained osteopathic physicians (DOs) from the bill for now because comparable foreign osteopathic training pathways were not yet identified.

- Amendment 4 clarified that physicians must practice within the supervising physician’s scope (so an OB–GYN trained abroad cannot be supervised to practice general surgery) and required the sponsoring facility to ensure patients understand the practitioner’s limited license and that the limited licensee will be supervised.

- Amendment 5 set a flat application fee of $100 to avoid recommittal for fiscal reasons.

Stakeholder testimony and concerns

Physician organizations supported the bill with caveats: Cliff Knight (Indiana Academy of Family Physicians) and Dr. William Pond (Indiana State Medical Association) said they support the goal of expanding access while stressing the need for meaningful supervision, mentoring and careful evaluation of whether foreign residency training is substantially similar to U.S. graduate medical education (GME). Representatives of advocacy and policy groups (Americans for Prosperity and Cicero Institute) urged streamlined pathways and noted other states have adopted similar reforms.

Several witnesses and committee members cautioned the committee that evaluating residency comparability is complicated and that board oversight and rigorous supervision will be critical to patient safety.

Vote and implementation notes

The committee passed HB1555 as amended on a roll call recorded as 11–0 (do pass as amended). The bill includes a requirement that physicians practice in sponsored, underserved facilities; it tasks the Indiana Medical Board with determining whether an applicant’s residency is substantially equivalent. Sponsors said the board will oversee applications and that conversion from limited to full license is at board discretion.