Immigrants
Coverage for lawfully present immigrants
Lawfully present immigrants can get Marketplace coverage and may qualify for premium tax credits and other savings on Marketplace plans.
The term âlawfully presentâ includes immigrants who have:
- âQualified non-citizenâ immigration status (see details below).
- Humanitarian statuses or circumstances (including Temporary Protected Status, Special Juvenile Status, asylum applicants, Convention Against Torture, victims of trafficking).
- Valid non-immigrant visas.
- Legal status conferred by other laws (temporary resident status, LIFE Act, Family Unity individuals). Get a full list of immigration statuses eligible for Marketplace coverage.
Lawfully present immigrants and Marketplace savings
If youâre a lawfully present immigrant, you can get Marketplace coverage. You may qualify for lower costs on monthly premiums and extra savings on out-of-pocket costs based on your income.
The
is a measure of income used to decide your eligibility for certain programs and benefits. This could include savings on Marketplace health insurance, and Medicaid and CHIP coverage.
- If your annual income is above 400% of the : You may still qualify for premium tax credits that lower your monthly premium.Â
- If your annual income is between 100% and 400% FPL: You may qualify for premium tax credits and other savings on Marketplace health coverage.
- If your annual income is at or below 150% FPL and youâre not eligible for Medicaid or the Childrenâs Health Insurance Program (CHIP): You may be able to enroll in or change Marketplace coverage through a . Check if you can get health coverage.
- If your annual household income is below 100% FPL: If youâre not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, youâll qualify for premium tax credits and other savings on Marketplace coverage if you meet all other eligibility requirements.
Immigrants and Medicaid & CHIP
If you're a âqualified non-citizen,â you're generally eligible for coverage through Medicaid and the Childrenâs Health Insurance Program (CHIP), if you meet state income and residency rules.
To get Medicaid and CHIP coverage, many qualified non-citizens (such as many Lawful Permanent Residents, also known as LPRs or green card holders) have a 5-year waiting period. This means they must wait 5 years after getting "qualified" immigration status before they can get Medicaid and CHIP coverage. There are exceptions. For example, refugees, asylees, or LPRs who used to be refugees or asylees donât have to wait 5 years. Qualified non-citizens who havenât yet had their status for 5 years generally qualify for Marketplace coverage, if otherwise eligible.
The term âqualified non-citizenâ includes:
- Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR/Green Card Holder)
- Asylees
- Refugees
- Cuban/Haitian entrants
- Paroled into the U.S. for at least one year
- Conditional entrant granted before 1980
- Battered non-citizens, spouses, children, or parents
- Victims of trafficking and his or her spouse, child, sibling, or parent or individuals with a pending application for a victim of trafficking visa
- Granted withholding of deportation
- Member of a federally recognized Indian tribe or American Indian born in Canada
- Citizens of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau who are living in one of the U.S. states or territories (referred to as Compact of Free Association or COFA migrants)
Children and pregnant people
States have the option to remove the 5-year waiting period and cover lawfully residing children and/or pregnant people in Medicaid or CHIP, rather than only those who are "qualified non-citizens." A child or pregnant person is "lawfully resident" if theyâre "lawfully present" and otherwise eligible for Medicaid or CHIP in the state. Learn what immigration statuses are considered lawfully present.
- 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have chosen to provide Medicaid coverage to lawfully residing children and/or pregnant people without a 5-year waiting period.Â
- 28 of these states also cover lawfully residing children or pregnant people in CHIP.
Getting emergency care
Medicaid provides payment for treatment of an emergency medical condition for people who meet all Medicaid eligibility criteria in the state (such as income and state residency), but donât have an eligible immigration status.
Medicaid, CHIP, & "public charge" status
Applying for or getting Medicaid or CHIP benefits, or getting savings for Marketplace health coverage doesn't make you a "public charge". This means it wonât affect your chances of becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident or U.S. citizen.Â
There's one exception for people getting long-term care in an institution at government expense, like in a nursing facility. These people may face barriers getting a green card.