Democrat-led states in California, Illinois, and Minnesota have ended or limited Medicaid coverage for low-income immigrants without permanent legal status. The decision has been backed by the Democratic governors of these states, despite initial plans to expand health care to immigrants.
The changes will affect hundreds of thousands of people who are not in the US legally. In Illinois, adult immigrants ages 42-64 will lose their health care, saving an estimated $404 million. In Minnesota, all adult immigrants without legal status no longer have access to the state program, saving nearly $57 million. In California, new enrollments for adults will stop in 2026 to save more than $3 billion over several years.
Health care providers say that everything is having a chilling effect on people seeking care due to fear of deportation. States may have to spend more money down the road because immigrants will avoid preventive health care and end up needing to go to safety-net hospitals.
Patients who previously received knee replacements, heart procedures, and diagnoses for serious conditions like late-stage cancer are now at risk of going untreated. The restriction on Medicaid coverage also affects people who rely on free and community health clinics that serve many uninsured and underinsured immigrants.
Experts warn that the decision will lead to increased healthcare costs in the long run due to preventable conditions being left unmanaged. Some safety-net public hospitals reported significant revenue from billing through these programs, but may have to close if providers are forced out of the system.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-immigrants-california-illinois-minnesota-ice-f43d5681a6e9d45d274790c2eae716ee