Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
The United States (US) Embassy and Consulates have reportedly received instructions to consider refusing visas for
tourist
foreigners who suffer from chronic health problems, including obesity.
This policy was taken based on concerns that tourists with certain illnesses could require expensive medical treatment and could potentially become a burden on the country’s public costs.
According to a confidential US State Department report reviewed by
KFF Health News
and reported
Fox News
, officials are asked to assess, “Whether the (visa) applicant has sufficient financial resources to cover the costs of such care for his entire, expected lifetime without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense.”
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Diseases of primary concern in this new policy include obesity, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic disease, neurological disease and mental health conditions.
The US Department of State’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, confirmed this directive.He highlighted that President Donald Trump’s administration, which puts the interests of the American people first, is enforcing the policy.
“This includes enforcing policies that ensure our immigration system does not become a burden on American taxpayers,” Pigott said.
The report also explains that financial independence has been a basic tenet of US immigration policy for more than a century.In this context, unacceptable public costs, including health care costs, are regulated in US immigration law.
The directive, which revives a provision of Donald Trump-era immigration law, requires consular officers to thoroughly screen each traveler before issuing a visa.
Lora Ries, Director of the Center for Border Security and Immigration
Heritage Foundation
, explains that visa applicants may be rejected if they are deemed likely to become a public charge under applicable law.
“If an applicant is uninsured and cannot demonstrate that they can cover potential medical costs, such as those related to chronic conditions, that could indicate a high risk of becoming a public liability and make them a strong candidate for visa denial,” Ries told
Fox News
.
This is an important issue considering that 2023 data shows that approximately one in five immigrant adults in the US legally do not have health insurance, and the US does not have a federal insurance mandate for holders of certain work visas such as H-1Bs.
Responding to this idea, senior medical analyst Marc Siegel argues that chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes have the potential to cause unexpected cost spikes.
“The solution may not be a ban, but monitoring advice or further documentation to avoid cost overruns. In other words, obesity is a signal for increased risk, but that does not mean they are there in every case,” concluded Siegel.
(wow)
[Gambas:goldensamoyed Video]
