Are undocumented immigrants eligible to receive free health care?

Undocumented immigrants in the United States cannot receive free health care from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, according to the HealthCare.gov website and other sites. 

The only people eligible to receive care through ACA are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals from American territories and “lawfully present migrants,” which include green card holders, refugees, those with official asylum status and others, though provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have added more restrictions.

Some Republicans say Democrats forced the federal shutdown in part to provide free health care to undocumented immigrants. But Democrats’ demands include extending marketplace tax credits that make plans more affordable and reverse Medicaid cuts, which undocumented immigrants are not eligible for.

Hospitals receive reimbursements for emergency care that is required to be provided to some undocumented immigrants. In the 2023 fiscal year, that was 0.4% ($3.8 billion) of Medicaid’s total budget.