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Bill to make CNMI a retirement haven okayed in Senate
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Posted on Mar 14 2000
To bolster the bid by the CNMI to become a haven for retirees from other countries, the Senate has set into action a proposal to permit local practice by foreign doctors who can attend to the medical needs of these elderly people.
The bill proposed by Senate President Paul A. Manglona will complement an earlier law signed by the governor which led to the creation of retirement communities on the island for foreigners.
Called the Foreign Doctors Licensure Act of 2000, SB 12-56 passed on final reading during a Senate session held Friday on Rota, and now heads to the House of Representatives for voting.
According to findings by the Legislature, Public Law 11-60 advocating the retirement communities is not enough to entice elderly people into the Commonwealth, who could then contribute to the local economy through new sources of capital and consumer spending.
“Retirees, because they are getting on in age, are especially concerned that good medical care be available. Most importantly, they need to feel that doctors and other medical personnel with whom they feel comfortable will be readily available,” stated the bill. s
“Without this assurance, the wealthy foreign nationals the Commonwealth hopes to attract will not be willing to relocate here,” it added.
To resolve the problem, the measure seeks to provide license to practice in the CNMI to doctors and other medical personnel who “not only speak the foreign language, but also have the necessary cultural sensitivity and familiarity with the type and manner of medical practice in the home country.”
By allowing them practice on the island, they will be able to provide for the health needs of the retirees without sacrificing appropriate medical standards and protection of the public, according to Mr. Manglona.
