Expanded Healthcare for Immigrants in US States – Michigan Advance
- Gabriel Henao, a Colombian immigrant living in the US without legal status, gained health coverage through Colorado’s OmniSalud program. The program provides health care coverage to low-income immigrants without documentation and, as of its 2022 launch, did not require its 10,000 users to pay premiums. Now, the program has expanded to cover 11,000 people without charging premiums.
- Colorado is one of several US states offering some form of health care coverage to immigrants without legal status. Supporters argue that these programs save money by promoting preventive care and treatment for chronic conditions, which can prevent expensive medical emergencies. However, critics argue that the cost of these programs is too high, particularly in states dealing with budget deficits.
- The OmniSalud program serves immigrants whose income does not exceed $22,000 for individuals or $45,000 for a family of four. The 11,000 slots available were filled in two days, and the program costs the state an estimated $73 million annually. Despite this, there are still around 200,000 immigrants without legal status in the state.
Colombian Immigrant’s Struggle Spurs Health Coverage Change in Colorado
Gabriel Henao, a Colombian refugee, experienced severe stomach pain that left him unable to work for days after arriving in Colorado from Mexico. His low income from house cleaning work left him without health coverage. Without legal status, Colorado’s Medicaid system didn’t cover him or other immigrants in the mandatory five-year waiting period for green card holders.
However, Henao’s circumstances began to change with Colorado’s OmniSalud program. OmniSalud began in 2022 and provided health care coverage to low-income undocumented immigrants, covering an initial 10,000 people without requiring premiums. In 2023, the number of zero-premium slots was expanded to 11,000. Alianza NORCO, a nonprofit organization, helped immigrants like Henao to secure their coverage through OmniSalud.
It is not only in Colorado where non-legal residents or green card holders in their five-year waiting period are denied Medicaid. Similar issues are faced by immigrants in Michigan, as reported by Michigan Advance.
Colorado’s initiative to provide healthcare coverage to immigrants, irrespective of their legal status, was met with both support and criticism. Supporters argue that insured residents are more likely to receive treatment for chronic conditions and preventive care, saving healthcare costs. On the other hand, critics object to using millions of dollars to insure unauthorized residents, especially when budget constraints are a concern.
The Colorado health program offers coverage to immigrants, regardless of their legal status, with individual income less than $22,000 a year or less than $45,000 for a family of four. The program, costing the state an estimated $73 million annually, filled its available slots in just two days.
More Health Coverage for Immigrants Across the Nation
California, Oregon, and Washington also offer healthcare coverage to immigrants of all ages, irrespective of their legal status. Minnesota is set to join these states in 2025. At least 24 states and Washington, D.C., offer coverage to pregnant immigrant women in the waiting period for Medicaid. Seven states offer a year postpartum coverage regardless of immigration status, funded by state dollars or contributions from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Starting in March, Michigan will abolish the five-year waiting period for Medicaid for children and pregnant women. This change will provide coverage for up to 4,000 children and around 5,500 women, mostly Hispanic, as informed by Simon Marshall-Shah, senior policy analyst for the Michigan League for Public Policy. The program will cost Michigan $6.4 million, however, federal matching funds will bring the total to $26.4 million.
This month, a new law is in effect in California offering Medicaid coverage to adults aged 26 to 49, regardless of their immigration status. California has steadily expanded its health coverage for immigrants.
Controversies Over Healthcare for Unauthorized Immigrants
However, efforts to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants face resistance. Critics argue that these programs are too costly and strain the healthcare system. In Nevada, Republicans blocked initiatives to extend Medicaid to undocumented immigrants, while Republican-run Utah recently began enrolling children without documentation in a new state-funded insurance program.
Despite criticisms, contributions by unauthorized immigrants to the healthcare system have been considerable. Unauthorized immigrants pay sales and payroll taxes and contribute to public insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare. A study published in 2022 found that such immigrants pay around $51.9 billion more into the healthcare system than the cost of their healthcare.
Starting this month, immigrants without documentation and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in Washington state are permitted to shop for health plans through the state’s exchange. Those earning $36,450 or less can qualify for state aid for premiums. In July, the state will also roll out a Medicaid program covering poorer residents aged 19 and older, subject to a spending cap.
Seeking More Health Coverage for Immigrants in the US
Efforts to expand healthcare coverage to immigrants are ongoing. Henao, like many others, hopes more states will create programs like Colorado’s OmniSalud. As he says, “It will be positive for all communities if immigrants who are arriving are able to get the support that they need, are able to get the ability to work, have access to health insurance. Medical care is costly in this country.”
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