Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

How the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affects naturalized U.S. citizens, immigrants authorized to be in the U.S., and undocumented people. Also: verification requirements under the new law.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Affordable Care Act & Mixed–Immigration Status Families

Answers to frequently asked questions about mixed–immigration status families’ access to Obamacare programs. This FAQ explains, for example, who is eligible for coverage in the health insurance marketplaces created by the ACA, who in a mixed-status family is an “applicant” and who a “nonapplicant,” and who is subject to the “individual mandate” to have health insurance.

Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, individuals who are “lawfully present” in the United States will be eligible for new affordable coverage options after January 1, 2014. These options include access to “Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans” (PCIPs), to state or federally-run insurance exchanges, and to premium tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable. In their final rules on eligibility to enroll in the exchanges and to apply for premium tax credits, the U.S. Depts. of Health and Human Services and of the Treasury adopted the definition of “lawfully present” adopted by HHS for purposes of the PCIPs. The immigration categories described in this issue brief are considered “lawfully present” for ACA eligibility purposes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (DACA)
Exclusion of People Granted “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” from Affordable Health Care

What are the health care restrictions released by the Obama administration on August 28, 2012? When do the restrictions go into effect? BEFORE August 30, 2012, what did DACA-eligible individuals have access to in terms of health care? AFTER August 30, 2012, what do DACA-eligible individuals have access to in terms of health insurance? Do the DACA health care restrictions affect all individuals granted deferred action? What are the key policy concerns about the health care restrictions? And more.