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.
RELATED
INFORMATION
TRAINING VIDEOS
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Is It Safe to Apply for Health Insurance or Seek Health Care?
TABLE: Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs (see “Key Terms” for a list of “qualified” immigrants)
TABLE: A Quick Guide to Immigrant Eligibility for ACA and Key Federal Means-tested Programs
TABLE: Documents Typically Used by Lawfully Present Immigrants
ISSUE BRIEF: “Lawfully Residing” Children and Pregnant Women Eligible for Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) (PDF)
MAPS: Health Coverage for Immigrant Children and Health Coverage for Pregnant Women
TABLE: Medical Assistance Programs for Immigrants in Various States