WASHINGTON – United States President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Friday suspending entry of immigrants who will not be covered by health insurance within 30 days of entering the US or do not have the means to pay for their healthcare costs themselves.
The proclamation said it would not affect any individual’s eligibility for asylum or refugee status. The measure will take effect on Nov. 3.
The Trump administration last month said it planned to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the US in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of modern refugee program.
He said the suspension applied only to people seeking to enter the US with an immigrant visa.
The document listed the types of insurance considered approved, such as employer-sponsored plans and the Medicare program for the elderly.
But it said for people over the age of 18, coverage under the Medicaid program for the poor is not approved.(Reuters)
