Trump signs new travel ban order, impact on healthcare industry unclear

President Donald Trump today signed a new travel ban that includes a number of exceptions from his original order, which came under legal scrutiny as well as criticism from the medical community because of feared disruptions to foreign-born doctors, medical students and patients.

It’s unclear at this point whether the new travel ban will continue to raise worries for the healthcare industry, as details are now being sorted out.

The new executive order will ban travelers from six majority-Muslim nations seeking new visas from entering the United States for 90 days, according to The Washington Post. The original order included a seventh country, Iraq, which has now been dropped from the travel ban.

The new order takes effect March 16 and includes other exemptions: for travelers from those six countries who are legal permanent residents of the U.S., dual nationals who use a passport from another country and those who have been granted asylum or refugee status, the Post reported.

Trump’s original travel ban faced legal challenges and was put on hold by a three-judge federal appeals court panel. That order was criticized for its damaging implications for the healthcare industry. Those included the impact on the foreign-born doctors who practice medicine in the United States and play a critical role in the delivery of care, particularly in light of a physician shortage in some areas. There were also fears about the impact on medical students and patients seeking care in the U.S.