Under the current public charge rule, immigrants can receive public payer coverage, but not all immigrants are aware the 2019 public charge rule is no longer in effect.
CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are urging all states to take steps to ensure eligible immigrants are made aware that they are in face eligible for insurance. HHS has released a bulletin stating the 2019 Public Charge Final Rule is not enforceable or in effect as of March 9, 2021. Instead the immigrant eligibility parameters for public assistance have returned to the standards that were in place prior to the 2019 update, which had existed since 1999.
Under this, all immigrant children may receive coverage under Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS has urged states to coordinate with community-based organizations in order to distribute the news about this year’s changes to the public charge policy.
Using data from the Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, Urban Institute researchers found that a fifth of immigrant adults with children avoided using public benefits in 2020 while the public charge rule was still in effect. More than half of nonpermanent residents who decided to forego necessary care in 2020 due to cost were uninsured.
Now, coming out of a year in which immigrants actively avoided these benefits, immigrants may be hesitant to leverage any of the benefits that may now apply to them.
At E&M Global Insurance, we offer health insurance options for public charge: domestic health insurance and international health insurance. Questions? That’s great! We’re ready and waiting to help — give us a call today!
