ACA Implementation Center
National Immigration Law Center comments on implementation regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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.
How the new law — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — affects naturalized citizens, immigrants authorized to be in the U.S., and undocumented people. Also: verification requirements under the new law.
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.
Refugees, as lawfully present immigrants, are eligible for the same protections and benefits under the Affordable Care Act as U.S. citizens. Often, refugees arrive in the U.S. after years without access to proper medical care and in many cases work for employers who do not provide health insurance. The new law will give refugees access to affordable health coverage and protection against insurance practices that can deny coverage to individuals with preexisting conditions or those who become ill. (Office of Refugee Resettlement, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 10/15/10)
National Immigration Law Center comments on implementation regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
