Title: Health Coverage and Care of Undocumented Immigrants | KFF
Headings: Health Coverage and Care of Undocumented Immigrants
Health Coverage and Care of Undocumented Immigrants
Introduction
Overview of Undocumented Immigrants
Health Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants
Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants
Current Issues
Topics
Tags

Content: Under federal law, hospitals are required to screen and stabilize every patient who seeks emergency care. Medicaid helps offset costs borne by hospitals in providing emergency care to undocumented immigrants by providing payments to hospitals for emergency care provided to individuals who are otherwise eligible for Medicaid but for their immigration status. Immigrants spend less on health care, compared to their U.S. born counterparts.10 They also make larger out-of-pocket health care payments compared to nonimmigrants. 11 Immigrants have lower spending, in part, because they use less care due to their low coverage rates and limited access to care. They also tend to be younger and healthier than nonimmigrants, although this difference decreases over time as immigrants spend longer in the United States. 12
Current Issues
Research shows that shifting immigration policies under the Trump administration are leading to substantially increased fears among the immigrant community, affecting undocumented immigrants as well as lawfully present immigrants and citizen children of immigrants.13 Growing reports suggest that these fears are causing families to turn away from utilizing programs and services for themselves as well as their children, who are primarily U.S. born citizens and may qualify for Medicaid and CHIP. 14 The administration is pursuing additional changes to public charge policies that may lead to even larger decreases in participation in Medicaid among lawfully present immigrants and citizen children of lawfully present and undocumented immigrants. 15 Declines in coverage for families would increase barriers to care and financial instability, negatively affecting the growth and healthy development of their children. Although the Democratic presidential candidates have indicated support for expanding coverage to undocumented immigrants, to date, there are no detailed proposals. The impact and costs of such an expansion would depend on how individuals are covered (e.g., through private coverage, Medicare, or Medicaid), what benefits are provided, and premium and cost-sharing level