Certain immigrant populations to become newly eligible for healthcare
DETROIT, MI, August 15, 2024: The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is spreading the word to eligible foreign-born individuals that significant changes have been made to healthcare access for pregnant people and children in the state of Michigan. Since 1996, lawfully residing immigrants could not access Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) until they had been in the United State for five years. As of August 1, 2024 Michigan will end the five-year waiting period for lawfully residing children and pregnant people.
“We are so excited about this new change to Michigan health care policy,” said Elly Jordan, MIRC’s Training and Impact Supervising Attorney. “We know how important health care access is to all children and families, especially in the early years. This will be a meaningful improvement in the quality of life for so many Michigan families.”
Michigan joins 36 states plus D.C. in making this policy change for children, and 30 states plus D.C. in making the change for pregnant people. In general, lawfully present immigrants must have a “qualified” immigration status to be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, and most lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders must wait five years after obtaining qualified status before they may enroll, even if they meet other eligibility requirements. Since 2009, the Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA) option has allowed states to waive the five-year waiting period for Medicaid and CHIP for lawfully present pregnant people and children, recognizing how critical access to healthcare is for young families. However, despite having the option for 14 years, Michigan did not adopt this policy until now.
The new policy will ensure more children and families have healthcare coverage, setting them up for success. Immigrant Michiganders are twice as likely to be uninsured than U.S.-born residents. The new policy will bring Michigan closer to covering all children and ensure families have access to affordable, quality care at a critical life stage. Children up to 19 years of age can now register for CHIP and young people up to age 21 can register for Medicaid. Pregnant people are also covered, including a 12-month postpartum period.
The new policy comes at a time when misinformation about recent changes to the federal public charge rule has led many immigrant families to disenroll or decline public benefits programs for which they are eligible due to fear and confusion about the impact on immigration status in the future. National survey data found that one in five adults in immigrant families with children reported that they or a family member avoided a public benefit in 2019 for fear of risking future green card status. For those with lower incomes, the number increased to one-third of respondents. For most eligible individuals, these fears are misplaced and use of certain programs will not negatively impact their immigration status. Individuals with questions about how the use of public benefits may or may not impact their immigration status are encouraged to consult resources on public charge from the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Michigan Campaign.
Individuals who are eligible for newly expanded healthcare access can find out more about the new policy and how it may affect their family by visiting MIRC’s website: bit.ly/MIRC_ICHIA.
The following individuals are eligible for the new expanded healthcare access:
- Lawful Permanent Residents and applicants for adjustment of status with an approved visa and their family members granted status through the family unity program
- Refugees, asylees, and asylum applicants
- Applicants and people granted withholding of deportation or removal (under U.S. law or Convention Against Torture)
- Cuban/Haitian entrants
- Iraqi & Afghan Special Immigrants
- Temporary Protected Status holders
- Deferred Enforced Departure holders
- People in deferred action status (including DACA recipients after Nov. 1, 2024)
- People who have or have applied to USCIS for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- Certain survivors of human trafficking
- People with eligibility letters from the Office on Trafficking in Persons
- Trafficking visa holders and derivative beneficiaries or those with approved prima facie case determination
- People who have been granted Continued Presence to support a prosecution
- Certain survivors of domestic violence (under VAWA)
- Approved VAWA self petition or prima facie case determination and their parents or children
- Approved application for VAWA cancellation of removal and their parents or children
- Certain victims of serious crimes
- U visa holders or those with approved bona fide determination deferred action
- Most parolees (where parole valid for at least 1 year)
- Certain longtime residents who have employment authorization, such as NACARA Cancellation applicants, and applicants for 245 adjustment, applicants for registration based on residence since 1972, and people under orders of supervision
- Citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau
- People lawfully present in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or the American Samoa
- People with nonimmigrant visas who have not violated the terms of their status (like students, tourists, and visitors on business) (note: it is especially important that people in nonimmigrant statuses work with an attorney to determine whether using benefits may impact their status)
Eligible parties hoping to enroll can start with Michigan’s MIBRIDGES benefit-issuing website
Immigrant families in Michigan who have questions about their rights can call MIRC at (734) 239-6863.
Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is a statewide legal resource center for Michigan’s immigrant communities that works to build a thriving Michigan where immigrant communities experience equity and belonging. MIRC’s work is rooted in three pillars: direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community engagement and education. michiganimmigrant.org