Residents of New Jersey may want to learn more about calls to make healthcare for immigrants and their families a priority. With more immigrants now in the country, their children need healthcare. This is in addition to their own.
According to law sources, the year 2016 saw the number of under-insured hit a low. However, the numbers of under-insured began to rise, and in 2019, the numbers became worse for children with at least one non-citizen parent. There was a rise in the lack of health insurance to 8%.
Some parent believe it will affect their status
Some of these parents have the belief that accessing health care will threaten their legal status in the U.S. They fear there could be their removal from the country as well as interference with their gain of legal status in their family immigration efforts.
Former administration considered “public charge”
In 2019, undocumented immigrants did not qualify for the subsidies that are a part of Affordable Care Act insurance. Doing so would classify these immigrants as a public charge and compromise any possibility of getting a visa or legal entry to the United States. Non-cash benefits, such as Medicaid access, food stamps and housing subsidies were not available to them.
The present administration changes public charge
Pre-2019 guidelines became effective once again. However, it still has an effect on these immigrant families, who believe accessing public healthcare may compromise their status.
States adopted universal healthcare
Some states adopted universal health care for children. The Senate of New Jersey passed a bill for children, as an expansion of health insurance coverage.
There are now calls to make healthcare for immigrants and their children a priority. In fact, some states reached a solution, with universal healthcare for the needs of children.
