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Effective: August 1, 2008 |
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11ar3 - Citizenship and Immigration Status (Archive) |
Archived: February 1, 2011 |
One eligibility factor for health care coverage is citizenship and immigration status. Some people must verify that they are U.S. citizens (or U.S. nationals) for health care program eligibility; see Verification of U.S. Citizenship for further information.
If they meet all other program requirements, most noncitizens will be eligible for the same health care coverage as U.S. citizens (Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, and General Assistance Medical Care). There are also some types of health care eligibility that are available only to noncitizens (Refugee Medical Assistance, Emergency Medical Assistance, Noncitizens Medical Assistance).
Example:
Elena, an applicant for asylum, is applying for MA for herself and her son, Jake, a U.S. citizen. Elena is determined eligible for NMED and Jake is determined eligible for federally funded MA.
Action:
Both Elena and Jake will receive the same MA benefit set.
See the recently revised guide ”Health Care Eligibility for Noncitizens” for consolidated information and worker tools to assist in determining eligibility for noncitizens.
Verification of Immigration Status.
Funding Health Care for Noncitizens.
There are a number of terms we commonly use to discuss health care program eligibility for noncitizens. See the glossary for additional information for some of the following terms.
A person who leaves another country to settle permanently in the U.S.
The legal status granted to a noncitizen by immigration law. For more information about statuses, see the specific sections for each in this chapter.
A person present in the United States who has not attained U.S. citizenship by birth or naturalization. This includes people with many different immigration statuses such as asylees, lawful permanent residents, nonimmigrants, and refugees. It also includes undocumented people. For more information about these noncitizens, as well as those with other immigration statuses, see the specific sections for each in this chapter.
A person from another country who is admitted to the U.S. on a temporary basis and does not have permission from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to settle in the U.S. permanently. Some nonimmigrants are allowed to adjust to a permanent status after they enter the U.S. For example, nonimmigrants who enter the U.S. on a K-1 fiancé(e) visa are allowed to adjust to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status if they marry a U.S. citizen or LPR.
People living in the U.S. without the knowledge or approval of the USCIS.
Verification of Immigration Status
Require verification of immigration status for all clients who report they are noncitizens.
Exception: See Undocumented and nonimmigrant People.
Verification of other factors, such as date of entry or status date, may be required in order to determine the correct program or funding source.
Do not contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) without the client's signed consent.
Funding Health Care for Noncitizens
Eligibility for noncitizens depends on the immigration status granted by USCIS. For some immigrants, eligibility also depends on the date of the person's entry into or length of time in the U.S. These factors also determine whether a noncitizen's health care coverage is federally funded or state-funded.
Some lawful permanent residents may immigrate to the United States through a petition by a relative sponsor who agreed to support the immigrant as a condition of the immigrant's entry to the United States. See sponsored noncitizens to determine whether the sponsor’s income and assets must be deemed to the noncitizen when determining eligibility.
For more information, see:
Verification of Immigration Status.
Funding Health Care for Noncitizens.