Now on first looks I am sure many would say it right to exclude an American woman weighing 135kg from having residency in New Zealand, because of the risk she would pose to claiming under the public health system. The NZ Herald reports that:
"A medical assessor said there was a relatively high probability that the wife would cost the health service more than the threshold $25,000 over the next four years.
He noted that the guidelines said that people with BMI over more than 35 should not be considered."
Keep that fat woman out! I hear it now, hoards saying she'll cost you all.
Well hold on a minute. Let's look at the rest of the details. She applied with her husband and son. On other aspects of the application for residency they scored well:
"The husband was a butcher with an Arts degree and culinary qualification, and the wife who had business qualifications also had 17 year's experience in design.
In fact, if you set aside concern about her cost to the socialist health system:
"INZ concluded that although the couple "had the potential to have a relatively significant contribution to New Zealand through their skills and experience, it was not compelling enough to outweigh the potential cost (the wife) was likely to impose on the NZ health service".
So how about some lateral thinking? How about granting residency to them all, making it clear the wife has no cover for illnesses related to her obesity? She can get health insurance or pay her own way, but other that she isn't covered. The quid pro quo is that she pays proportionately less income tax - equivalent to not contributing to the state health system.
Then New Zealand gets a family with skills, willing to work and look after themselves (more than thousands of locally born people), and taxpayers don't bear the risk.
Indeed, why not offer all migrants the chance to enter and pay no tax for health, education, welfare or retirement?
Why should anyone care if a very obese person migrates, as long as they aren't a charge on you?
Well hold on a minute. Let's look at the rest of the details. She applied with her husband and son. On other aspects of the application for residency they scored well:
"The husband was a butcher with an Arts degree and culinary qualification, and the wife who had business qualifications also had 17 year's experience in design.
In fact, if you set aside concern about her cost to the socialist health system:
"INZ concluded that although the couple "had the potential to have a relatively significant contribution to New Zealand through their skills and experience, it was not compelling enough to outweigh the potential cost (the wife) was likely to impose on the NZ health service".
So how about some lateral thinking? How about granting residency to them all, making it clear the wife has no cover for illnesses related to her obesity? She can get health insurance or pay her own way, but other that she isn't covered. The quid pro quo is that she pays proportionately less income tax - equivalent to not contributing to the state health system.
Then New Zealand gets a family with skills, willing to work and look after themselves (more than thousands of locally born people), and taxpayers don't bear the risk.
Indeed, why not offer all migrants the chance to enter and pay no tax for health, education, welfare or retirement?
Why should anyone care if a very obese person migrates, as long as they aren't a charge on you?
1 comment:
I have no problem with overweight immigrants comming into the country provided they are self sufficient, e.g. have full medical insurance, which should be the case with all immigrants.
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