On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order banning the entry of immigrants who will not be covered by health insurance within 30 days of their arrival into the U.S. or have no means of paying for their own healthcare costs.
The White House announcement said it would not affect the eligibility of any applicant for asylum or refugee status. The measure is going to take effect on November 3, it said.
Trump has made it a cornerstone of his administration to slash legal and illegal immigration. The Trump administration said last month that in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program, it intended to authorize only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States.
“While our healthcare system grapples with the challenges caused by uncompensated care, the United States Government is making the problem worse by admitting thousands of aliens who have not demonstrated any ability to pay for their healthcare costs,” Trump said in the proclamation.
He said the suspension applied only to individuals seeking an immigrant visa to enter the United States.
The report listed the insurance forms that were deemed accepted, such as employer-sponsored policies and the elderly Medicare system.
But it said the insurance under the Medicaid program for the poor is not eligible for people over the age of 18.
