GCC Patient Visas Letter From US Hospitals April 21 2026

Template. Letter from a USCIPP member to its US House representative and US senators [Hospital Letterhead] [Date] The Honorable [Representative or Senator Name] [US House of Representatives/United States Senate] [Office Address] Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name]: I write on behalf of [USCIPP Member Name], a [city/state]-based [hospital/health system], to ask for your assistance regarding a growing barrier to medically necessary international patient travel to the US. We are gravely concerned by the worsening disruption to travel for patients from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – who are currently seeking essential care at our institution. [USCIPP Member Name] is seeing the effects of this crisis directly. [Insert one to three sentences describing your organization’s experience, such as the number of GCC patients affected, specific service lines like oncology or pediatrics seeing delays, or the projected financial impact on your organization]. The core problem is that patients from the GCC are unable to obtain visas, as American embassies and consulates in the region remain closed, and regular in-person visa interviews cannot occur. As a result, medically complex patients are facing delays in care, and our organization is beginning to lose both new and returning patients to healthcare providers in Europe, East Asia, and elsewhere. This issue has significant economic implications for our institution and the broader US healthcare system. Data from a recent survey conducted by the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP), of which we are a member, highlights the scale of this disruption. Between February 28 and the week of April 15, 2026, a subset of 18 USCIPP member hospitals reported a combined loss of over $32.491 million in estimated net revenue due to the inability of GCC patients to acquire a US visa. Because these data represent only a fraction of the hospitals and health systems affected, the true economic harm is likely much greater. Importantly, these international patient funds provide a critical revenue stream that helps offset the shortfalls our organization incurs when serving publicly insured or uninsured Americans. Income from foreign patients directly supports our financial stability and helps subsidize care for local patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, whom we often treat at a loss. We respectfully ask that your office engage the Department of State and urge the Bureau of Consular Affairs to establish dedicated blocks of emergency in-person visa interview appointments specifically for GCC patients seeking medically necessary treatment in the US – along with their necessary caregivers and accompanying family members – for the duration of the current disruption. This targeted solution would ensure that patients with legitimate and time-sensitive needs can access specialized treatment in the US without being blocked by current regional disruptions while still maintaining the integrity of the in-person interview requirement. This is both a patient access issue and an economic competitiveness issue for our state. It affects continuity of care for returning patients, access to highly specialized treatment, and the ability of American hospitals to retain international patients who will otherwise seek care elsewhere. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further and provide any additional information that would be helpful to your office. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,[Name] [Title] [USCIPP Member Name] [Email] | [Phone]