The US government is planning to make new rules for visa and Green Card applicants. People who have diabetes, obesity, or heart disease might face more checks before getting approval to live or work in the country.
As per reports, immigration officers will now look closely at a person’s health to see if they might need a lot of medical help in the future. If they think the person could become a burden on the healthcare system, their visa or Green Card could be rejected.
Earlier, the US mainly checked for infectious diseases like tuberculosis. But now, the new rules also include long-term health problems such as diabetes and heart issues.
Officials say this step is to stop people who might need too much medical care from entering the country. However, many people think this rule is unfair because conditions like diabetes or heart disease can be easily managed with medicines and care.
Doctors and experts say that many people around the world live healthy lives even with these conditions. So, stopping them from getting visas might be a bad idea.
Applicants may now have to give medical papers, reports, and proof of health insurance to show they can take care of themselves without government help.
Experts also say that this rule could affect older people and applicants from countries where such health problems are common.
As reported by KFF Health News, it reads:
“You must consider an applicant’s health. Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions – can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care. All of these can require expensive, long-term care,”
In short, these new health rules could make it harder for some people with medical conditions to move to the US, even if they are fit and managing their health well.