Let’s urge Michigan to consider covering all Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who would otherwise be income-eligible for Medicaid under a new, separate program. 

My grandfather received news of his liver cancer diagnosis the same year of my birth. Just one year before Medicaid would have begun covering him, he passed away.

Passed under the Clinton Administration, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 rendered LPRs "ineligible…for Federal means-tested public benefits…for the first five years after U.S. entry." While the law intended to help immigrants become self-sufficient before using welfare (i.e., by obtaining health insurance through employment), the law leaves some LPRs without coverage. 

For instance, what about LPRs who work in jobs without significant health benefits? What about retired LPRs? What about LPRs who cannot afford private insurance? Most significantly, what about those who cannot return to their home country for medical treatment, like my grandfather could?

In total, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 18% of "lawfully present immigrant adults report being uninsured" nationwide. Without coverage for preventive care, each of these individuals — roughly 2.3 million people — can sadly present a health risk to themselves and their communities. 

Already, two bills have been tabled on the U.S. Congressional floor to eliminate the five-year waiting period for LPRs to receive Medicaid, including Representative Pramila Jayapal's LIFT the BAR Act and Senator Cory Booker's HEAL for Immigrant Families Act (117th U.S. Congress). 

While the bills stall through Congressional procedure, Michigan has already opted to expand Medicaid to include pregnant women and children within the 5-year bar. Additionally, four states have taken this a step further and have offered alternative programs covering all income-eligible (i.e., a household income below 133% of the poverty line) immigrants within the 5 years. Michigan should do so as well.

Let's do some good — Let’s encourage Michigan to ensure all LPRs have access to healthcare.

 

Works Cited:

104th United States Congress. “H.R.3734 - Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.” Congress.gov, Library of Congress, 22 August 1996, www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/house-bill/3734 Accessed 20 September 2023.

117th United States Congress. “All Information (Except Text) for H.R.5227 - LIFT the BAR Act of 2021.” Congress.gov, 2 October 2022, www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5227/all-info. Accessed 17 September 2023.

117th United States Congress. “All Information (Except Text) for S.1660 - HEAL for Immigrant Families Act of 2021.” Congress.gov, 2 October 2022, www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1660/all-info. Accessed 17 September 2023.

Kaiser Family Foundation. Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants | KFF, 17 September 2023, https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/key-facts-on-health-coverage-of-immigrants/ Accessed 6 January 2024.

Kaiser Family Foundation. State-Funded Health Coverage for Immigrants as of July 2023 | KFF, 26 July 2023, https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/state-funded-health-coverage-for-immigrants-as-of-july-2023/ Accessed 9 January 2024.

Messerly, Megan, and Alice Miranda Ollstein. “Blue states put the brakes on health care for undocumented immigrants.” Politico, 9 May 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/09/medicaid-for-undocumented-immigrants-democrats-00095949 Accessed 6 January 2024.

Meyers, Elle. “Michigan Medicaid to expand to include pregnant women and children with green cards.” CBS News, 24 August 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/michigan-medicaid-to-expand-to-include-pregnant-women-and-children-with-green-cards/ Accessed 6 January 2024.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “Health coverage for lawfully present immigrants.” HealthCare.gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/ Accessed 6 January 2024.

Photo by jossuetrejo_oficial via Pixabay