logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Do all undocumented immigrants receive free healthcare?

By Carmela Guaglianone
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

Undocumented immigrants do not automatically receive free healthcare, and are not eligible for most federal healthcare assistance programs like Medicaid.

In some states, undocumented immigrants have access to state-specific healthcare assistance programs for low-income individuals. These programs are generally subject to income requirements, or are specific to pregnant people or uninsured children.

Some ‘safety-net’ providers, which receive federal funding to serve populations of disproportionately low-income or uninsured individuals, offer care to everyone regardless of an individual’s ability to pay or immigration status. Emergency healthcare for those whose life or safety are at-risk, often covered by emergency Medicaid, follows the same guidelines.

Healthcare for migrants in detention, who are awaiting processing and face possible deportation, is administered and funded by the ICE Health Service Corps, comparable to taxpayer-funded healthcare for incarcerated Americans.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Congressional Research Service Immigrants’ Access to Health Care
PubMed Central (PMC) The Undocumented Elderly: Coverage Gaps and Low Health Care Use
National Immigration Forum Fact Sheet: Undocumented Immigrants and Federal Health Care Benefits
HealthCare.gov Health coverage for immigrants
KFF Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants
Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE Health Service Corps
US Department of Homeland Security Healthcare Costs for Noncitizens in Detention
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.