GCC Patient Visas Letter From NCHL Apr 21 2026

National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) 680 North Lake Shore Drive Ste. 410 – 1157, Chicago, IL 60611, United States 1 April 21, 2026 The Honorable Mora Namdar Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Bureau of Consular Affairs, US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520, United States John Armstrong, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Consular Affairs, US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520, United States Stuart R. Wilson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services Bureau of Consular Affairs, US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520, United States Dear Assistant Secretary Namdar, Mr. Armstrong, and Mr. Wilson: On behalf of the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP), a program of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership, I am writing to express our grave concern regarding the worsening disruption to medically necessary travel to the US for patients from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. These disruptions are currently preventing patients from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from accessing essential care in the US. USCIPP is a consortium of 60 prominent US hospitals and health systems engaged in international patient care and cross-border healthcare collaboration. Our member hospitals are increasingly reporting that patients from the GCC who need care in the US are unable to obtain visas, as American embassies and consulates in the region are closed, and regular in-person visa interviews cannot occur. As a result, hospitals are losing both new and returning patients to competitors in Europe, East Asia, and other markets. We respectfully ask that the Bureau of Consular Affairs establish a dedicated block of emergency in-person visa interview appointments specifically for GCC patients seeking medically necessary treatment in the US as well as for their necessary caregivers/accompanying family members. By prioritizing these vulnerable individuals through a structured emergency appointment process, the Bureau can ensure that life-saving care is not delayed by the current regional disruptions while still maintaining the integrity of the in-person interview requirement. To better understand the scope of the issue, the USCIPP program recently surveyed its member hospitals. Twenty-five hospitals responded with data from the period of February 28 through the week of April 15. Eighteen hospitals provided a numeric estimate of lost net revenue, totaling $32.491 million. The median reported loss was $1.0 million, with an interquartile range of $52,500 to $2.0 million. Most responding hospitals reported losing fewer than 10 patients thus far, but the financial and clinical consequences are already substantial and growing. Importantly, these figures should be understood only as a lower bound. USCIPP has 60 member hospitals, and fewer than half responded to the survey. The true scope of the problem is therefore likely much greater than indicated by these results. What we are providing is not a full accounting of the impact but merely the minimum level of harm that has already been documented among responding hospitals. 2 These funds provide a critical revenue stream for many American hospitals, as they help offset the shortfalls hospitals incur when serving publicly insured or uninsured Americans. In other words, income from foreign patients directly supports US hospitals’ financial stability and helps subsidize care for local patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries whom US hospitals treat at a loss. The survey comments make clear that the problem is not only financial. Our member hospitals described delayed and disrupted care, rescheduled arrivals, uncertainty around whether patients are deferring treatment or seeking care in other countries, and barriers affecting both new patients and returning patients and their family members. In some cases, hospitals noted that delays in care may narrow treatment options for patients with serious conditions. The current situation is therefore affecting both access to care and continuity of care. US hospitals have long served as a destination for highly specialized care for international patients whose needs cannot always be met elsewhere. When patients from the GCC are unable to access timely visa processing because American embassies and consulates are closed, the result is avoidable harm to patients, loss of continuity for returning patients, a diversion of care away from the US, and a loss of revenue for US hospitals and health systems. For these reasons, we respectfully urge the Bureau of Consular Affairs to act quickly to establish a dedicated block of emergency in-person visa interview appointments specifically for GCC patients seeking medically necessary treatment – along with their necessary caregivers/accompanying family members – for the duration of the current disruption. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss these findings with your team and provide additional information from USCIPP member hospitals. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jarrett Fowler, MPPA Senior Director, Strategic and International Initiatives National Center for Healthcare Leadership 680 North Lake Shore Drive Ste. 410 – 1157, Chicago, IL 60611, United States E: [email protected] | P: +1 817 559 2414