Expanding Health Care Coverage to All Immigrants

The Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) made health care possible for millions who had previously been uninsured.   Yet there are many who are still excluded because of their immigration status.

The face of America is changing, as there are more immigrants (40,000,000) in the United States than ever before of whom over one quarter (11,700,000) are undocumented (US Census, 2014).  Because this large undocumented population is not able to purchase health insurance, receive tax credits for the purchase of health care under ACA, or apply for Medicaid, they have no health care coverage.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center (2014), nine million families can be referred to as mixed status families with undocumented parents and children who are U.S. citizens.   In these families each family member may have different health care coverage.  While undocumented parents can apply for their children with U.S. citizenship to receive Medicaid coverage, they themselves are not eligible for Medicaid or to receive health care coverage through employers. The widely acclaimed Presidential Executive Orders that provided a pathway to legal status for undocumented children (DACA) and their parents (DAPA) still did not extend health care to children and parents who are undocumented.  

Public health social workers have a professional and ethical responsibility to provide health care equity for all and thus strive to decrease health disparities.  Yet they frequently encounter undocumented people who cannot access regular health care.   The need for advocacy to extend health care coverage to all including undocumented immigrants will be discussed.