On the same day that Donald Trump unveiled plans to slash the consumer cost of weight-loss drugs, the president issued a new directive banning obese foreigners or people with diabetes from obtaining visas to visit the United States.
The new guidelines instruct visa officers to reject applicants who may be eligible for public benefits, as part of the president’s hard-line crackdown on immigration.
The guidance, which was issued by cable to embassies across the United States and seen by KFF Health News, identifies people with obesity or diabetes as being a “public charge.”
“You must consider an applicant’s health,” the order read. “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.”
Charles Wheeler, a senior attorney for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, told KFF Health News that the guidelines are likely only to be applied to visitors seeking permanent residency in the U.S.
However, the attorney expressed concerns over the guidance ordering visa officers to determine whether an applicant’s health problems could cause them to seek government assistance.
“That’s troubling because they’re not medically trained, they have no experience in this area, and they shouldn’t be making projections based on their own personal knowledge or bias.”
The news came shortly after Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office and confirmed that his administration had reached an agreement with the manufacturers of what he had previously described as “the fat shot drug.”
The president confirmed that he was “thrilled” to make “tremendous cuts” and “drastic discounts” on GLP-1 diabetes medications for Americans who receive support on Medicare and Medicaid. The discounted drugs will be sold on an upcoming government website, TrumpRX, as part of the deal inked by GLP-1 makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
“It's a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” he said.
According to Trump, the cost of Wegovy would plummet from $1,350 per month to $250 per month, while Zepbound would fall from $1,080 to $346. Eli Lilly’s weight-loss pill will also retail for $149.
After confirming the new prices, he looked around the room and asked, “Did I do a good job?”
However, there was some disagreement during the press conference over just how much weight the scheme will help Americans to shed.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who previously claimed that drugmakers were trying to sell Ozempic “because we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” said that it could cause the country to lose a collective 125 million pounds in weight.
Dr Oz, the administrator of the CMS, claimed that the real amount that Americans could stand to lose could measure as high as “135 billion pounds.”
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