Every person in this country should be able to get health care when they need it, no matter the color of their skin, how much money they have, or where they were born. It’s really that simple.
This moral principle, coupled with clear evidence that expansion of health insurance leads to higher productivity and economic growth, led to a significant overhaul of the U.S. health care system in 2010 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Nonetheless, despite improving access to health care for many, the ACA crystalized the most striking disparity: federal law makes undocumented immigrants generally ineligible for affordable health coverage.
Under this post-ACA reality, around half of adult undocumented immigrants and 18 percent of lawfully present adults lack health insurance, compared with 8 percent for U.S.-born citizens. No other demographic is subject to statutory barriers that result in this level of inequity.
Many immigrants and their allies have refused to accept these senseless restrictions as the final answer. Inspiring movements toward Health for All—access to affordable health care for all residents, regardless of immigration status—have gained momentum in states, cities, and counties across the country. Creative advocates and policymakers have sought to use every available option to create paths to coverage for immigrant members of their communities, and when no option existed, they created their own paths.
Downloads
- Overview of Series
- A Winning Strategy
- Opportunities for States to Expand Public Coverage to Immigrants Using Federal Funds
- Opportunities for States to Expand Public Coverage to Immigrants Using State Funds
- Opportunities for States to Expand Access to Private Coverage through State Innovation Waivers
- Opportunities to Expand Access to Hospital Financial Assistance through State Law
DACA Recipients Defend Access to Affordable Health Care in Court
Sep 20, 2024 Bismarck, North Dakota – CASA, on behalf of its members, and Dania Quezada, a third-year law student with DACA at the University of Washington are seeking to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s regulation...
Kansas v. United States
NILC is defending the Biden administration’s regulation allowing DACA recipients to access coverage through the Affordable Care Act against a lawsuit brought by Kansas and 18 other...
Last update: Sep 24, 2024
NILC Celebrates the House Passage of the SPEAK Act
Sep 18, 2024 WASHINGTON — Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. House of Representatives’ bipartisan passage of the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge (SPEAK) Act,...
State Health Care Expansions – A Powerful Tool for Reducing Poverty
Gabrielle Lessard
Sep 23, 2024 Momentum continues for states to expand access to health care coverage and services for their residents, regardless of their immigration status.