Doctors born abroad play major role in care for millions of patients in underserved U.S. communities
More than 22 million Medicare patients received care from doctors born outside the United States in 2024, according to an American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) study published today in JAMA.
In 2024, more than 22 million Medicare patients received care from doctors born outside the United States, according to a study published in JAMA. The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) research found that non-U.S.-born physicians make up nearly half (47.2%) of the internal medicine workforce and provide essential care to patients in underserved communities.
Among those patients, a higher proportion were Black (9.5%) and Latino (6.6%) compared to patients treated by doctors born in the U.S. (7% and 3.9%, respectively). Nearly 21% of those treated by non-U.S.-born physicians were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and 19.8% lived in high-poverty ZIP codes. The study reveals the importance of IMGs (international medical graduates) in every internal medicine subspecialty, with at least 27% of physicians in each specialty being born outside the U.S. and over half of all doctors practicing geriatrics, sleep medicine, and nephrology.
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