Restoring the public charge policy

Restoring the public charge policy

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Author(s):
Whitener, Kelly, author
Contributor(s):
Georgetown University. Center for Children and Families, issuing body.
Publication:
[Washington, DC] : Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families, October 2022
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Eligibility Determination -- legislation & jurisprudence
Emigrants and Immigrants -- legislation & jurisprudence
Insurance Coverage
Public Assistance -- legislation & jurisprudence
Child
Medicaid
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final regulation that restores longstanding public charge policy, effective December 23, 2022. This comes after attempts by the Trump Administration to radically expand the scope and nature of the public charge test, making it much harder for some immigrants to adjust their status and discouraging many more immigrants from seeking public benefits. This fact sheet explains the final rule, focusing on how the rule will impact children’s health coverage. Empowered by the facts, families should be reassured that they can enroll their children in Medicaid and CHIP without fear of immigration consequences. Children with health coverage are more likely to become healthy adults and achieve greater academic and economic success. Over the last few decades, Medicaid and CHIP policies have made it easier for children--including lawfully residing immigrant children--to get and stay covered, helping reach historic coverage levels. But, the number of uninsured children increased every year from 2016 to 2019, due in part to a loss of public coverage. The loss of public coverage can be attributed to a range of factors, including large cuts in outreach and enrollment assistance, red tape barriers that make it harder for families to enroll or stay enrolled, and a “chilling effect” created by the Trump Administration’s public charge policies and other actions that led to a hostile climate for immigrant families. Returning to longstanding public charge rules will help reverse those trends, but more needs to be done to make sure accurate information reaches impacted communities.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (8 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918523077906676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918523077906676