An Asian woman wearing a red and white striped shirt smiles in front of a green flag.

Health Care

We are dedicated to building a society where health is a right for all — no matter the color of our skin, how much money we have, or where we were born.

An Asian woman wearing a red and white striped shirt smiles in front of a green flag.

Overview

Access to affordable care and health insurance not only saves lives — it strengthens entire communities. At the National Immigration Law Center, we are building a society where health is a right for all.

We advocate for critical policy reforms on the federal level, collaborate with state and local partners to build more pathways to equitable care for all residents and challenge unjust laws in court.

Why It Matters

For immigrants in the United States, access to health care is too often determined by immigration status, rather than need.

On the federal level, immigrants face significant barriers to accessing care and coverage. While Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act have resulted in record low numbers of uninsured people in this country, undocumented immigrants are excluded from accessing these public health insurance programs – benefits that their tax dollars help support. Consequently, about 50 percent of adult undocumented immigrants remain uninsured, exacerbating racial health disparities. Immigrants with differing statuses, like “green card” holders, also face discriminatory barriers to coverage like arbitrary years-long waiting periods.

Outside of gaps in access to health insurance, there are also inherent challenges to the types and quality of care that immigrants receive. Far too often, health care providers and programs fail to comply with civil rights laws and regulations that are designed to ensure language access for people with limited English proficiency.

For many immigrants trying to navigate an already complex health care system, these barriers – along with fear of discrimination or possible retaliation – can stop them from trying to access care at all.

Our Work

No matter how complex the landscape is, we know that health care for all is possible. Through our work with state partners, we have advanced historic new programs for immigrants excluded from federal health coverage. Some states have advanced coverage for immigrant children or seniors while others have moved to implement access to health care for all immigrants.

We successfully challenged the cruel Trump-era “public charge” policy in court, worked to improve language access civil rights requirements, and led the charge to expand access to DACA recipients. We have defended against attempts to weaken existing access to health care or enact new discriminatory restrictions.

We continue to support community advocates and policymakers who are working to pass inclusive policies that not only help immigrants but will make whole communities stronger and healthier.

Health Care Coverage For Pregnant People

Updated January 2024
  • Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry
  • CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.
ALAL AKAK AZAZ ARAR CACA COCO CTCT DEDE FLFL GAGA HIHI IDID ILIL ININ IAIA KSKS KYKY LALA MEME MDMD MAMA MIMI MNMN MSMS MOMO MTMT NENE NVNV NHNH NJNJ NMNM NYNY NCNC NDND OHOH OKOK OROR PAPA RIRI SCSC SDSD TNTN TXTX UTUT VTVT VAVA WAWA WVWV WIWI WYWY DC
  • Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry
  • CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.
SELECT STATE:

Alabama

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Arkansas

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

California

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Colorado

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry. Colorado will cover pregnant people regardless of status, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Connecticut

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Delaware

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Georgia

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Hawaii

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Illinois

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Indiana

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Kentucky

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Louisiana

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Maine

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Maryland

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Massachusetts

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Michigan

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Minnesota

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Missouri

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Nebraska

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Nevada

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

New hampshire

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

New jersey

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

New mexico

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

New york

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

North carolina

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

North dakota

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Ohio

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Oklahoma

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Oregon

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Pennsylvania

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Rhode island

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

South carolina

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

South dakota

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Tennessee

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Texas

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Utah

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Vermont

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Virginia

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Washington

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

West virginia

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

Wisconsin

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Wyoming

Medicaid for lawfully residing pregnant people regardless of date of entry.

District of columbia

CHIP or state-funded prenatal care, regardless of the pregnant person's immigration status.

Take Action
Remove Barriers to Life-Changing Social Services

Remove Barriers to Life-Changing Social Services

Everyone, regardless of immigration status, should have access to federal programs that improve quality of life. Urge Congress to cosponsor the LIFT the BAR Act.

Act Now!
The Latest
Conozca Sus Derechos: Atención Médica y Seguro Médico

Conozca Sus Derechos: Atención Médica y Seguro Médico

Jan 24, 2025 Este recurso proporciona información que todas las familias deben conocer cuando solicitan programas de seguro médico o buscan servicios de atención médica. Publicado originalmente en diciembre de...

Know Your Rights: Health Care and Health Insurance for Immigrants

Know Your Rights: Health Care and Health Insurance for Immigrants

Jan 24, 2025 This resource provides information that all immigrant families should know when deciding to get health care or apply for health insurance programs. Originally published in December...

Health Care Providers and Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights, Know Your Patients’ Rights

Health Care Providers and Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights, Know Your Patients’ Rights

Jan 24, 2025 Information for health care providers on how to prepare for and respond to enforcement actions by immigration officials and interactions with law enforcement that could result in immigration consequences for their patients. Originally published...

Budget Reconciliation and Immigration Policy: Potential Areas of Impact for 2025

Budget Reconciliation and Immigration Policy: Potential Areas of Impact for 2025

Heidi Altman and Ben D’Avanzo

Dec 13, 2024 Republican leadership has stated they plan to move two major bills on reconciliation. This analysis provides an overview of the reconciliation process from the lens of policies that impact immigrants, highlighting the potential and limits of...