Title: The Affordable Care Act & Mixed-Status Families - National Immigration Law Center
Headings: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Affordable Care Act & Mixed-Status Families

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Affordable Care Act & Mixed-Status Families
1. What is a mixed-status family?
2. What health care programs are available to members of mixed-status families?
3. Can a person who is not eligible use the ACA marketplace to apply for Medicaid, CHIP, or private health insurance for an eligible family member?
4. Are nonapplicants required to report their citizenship or immigration status?
5. Does a nonapplicant need to provide income information or a Social Security number (SSN)?
6. What if an applicant is lawfully present but does not have a Social Security number?
7. How is an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status verified?
8. Are mixed-status families required to file income tax returns in order to buy health insurance under the ACA?
9. Are mixed-status families subject to the “individual mandate”?
10. How will an undocumented member of a mixed-status family claim the exemption?
11. How does the ACA protect the confidentiality of information provided on health insurance applications?
12. Will getting health coverage under the ACA be considered in the “public charge” determination when I apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status?

Content: In general, citizens and “lawfully present” immigrants are eligible to buy health insurance and get tax-credit subsidies in the health care marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, people who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) are excluded from the marketplaces. Undocumented immigrants also are not eligible to buy health insurance and receive subsidies from the ACA marketplaces. States have different rules about immigrants’ eligibility for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but eligibility is generally limited to a subset of lawfully present immigrants called “qualified” immigrants. 3. Can a person who is not eligible use the ACA marketplace to apply for Medicaid, CHIP, or private health insurance for an eligible family member? Yes. A person, such as an undocumented parent, who is not eligible to obtain health care coverage from the ACA marketplace may use the marketplace to get health coverage for his or her eligible family members. The marketplace calls the person who is filling out the application but not seeking coverage for herself a nonapplicant. The people who will be covered by the insurance are applicants.