Immigrants, especially those who are not American citizens, have long faced significant and disproportionate barriers to healthcare and insurance coverage. In 2014, the latest year for which data is available, 40 percent of undocumented immigrants were uninsured, according to Kaiser Family Foundation.
As of 2014, there were 42.2 million immigrants in the U.S., including 19.7 naturalized citizens, 9.9 million lawfully present immigrants and 12.5 million undocumented immigrants, according to Kaiser's analysis of the 2015 Current Population Survey.
Here are seven things to know about immigrants' health insurance status in the U.S.
1. Among the population of undocumented immigrants, approximately 48 percent are between the ages of 35 and 64, 41 percent are between 19 and 34 and 10 percent are between zero and 18. About 62 percent of lawfully present immigrants are between 35 and 64, while 29 percent are between 19 and 34 and 9 percent are between zero and 18.
2. More than half of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. — 56 percent — are low-income earners, with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, compared to 32 percent of U.S. citizens, according to the Kaiser Survey of Low-Income Americans and the Affordable Care Act. Approximately 46 percent of lawfully present immigrants are low-income earners.
3. Compared with a 10 percent uninsured rate among adults and children who are U.S. citizens, 40 percent of undocumented immigrants are uninsured. Nearly a quarter of lawfully present immigrants — 23 percent — are uninsured.
4. Twenty-three percent of undocumented immigrant children are uninsured, compared with 17 percent of lawfully present immigrant children and 6 percent of children who are citizens.
5. Noncitizens can obtain private coverage on the individual market, through an employer or as a dependent but with lower rates of private coverage compared to citizens. Because many working noncitizens hold low-income jobs, they have limited access to employer-based coverage, and private coverage on the exchanges is often unaffordable for them.
6. Lawfully present non-citizens may qualify for Medicaid and CHIP, but may face eligibility restrictions, such as a five-year waiting period before they may enroll, according to the report. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Medicaid and CHIP. However, Medicaid payments for emergency services may be made for undocumented people if they are otherwise eligible for Medicaid, save for their immigration status.
7. Regardless of coverage status, noncitizens are more likely than citizens to seek healthcare services from a clinic. Among the uninsured, 81 percent of undocumented immigrants and 64 percent of lawfully present immigrants indicated a clinic is their usual source of care, compared to 38 percent of citizens. Among the insured, 63 percent of undocumented immigrants and 32 percent of lawfully present immigrants go to a clinic the most for care, compared to 19 percent of citizens.