GuideOct 26

Health Insurance in the United States: Options for Immigrants and Key Terms

Health care in the United States is expensive, and the rules for insurance depend on immigration status and on your state. This article explains the main paths, who can use them, the terms you will see when comparing plans, and where to find a health center, using official U.S. government pages with direct links.

1. The main insurance paths

USAGov's health insurance page covers Medicaid and CHIP for people with low income, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace and COBRA, with links on how to apply. https://www.usa.gov/health-insurance

2. Marketplace coverage for immigrants

HealthCare.gov says U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawfully present immigrants can get Marketplace coverage if they are eligible, and that undocumented immigrants cannot get Marketplace coverage; they may apply on behalf of documented individuals. https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/coverage/

HealthCare.gov also says that, due to a law change, only people with certain immigration statuses can qualify for savings on their Marketplace plan costs starting January 1, 2027: Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders), Cuban or Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants. Other immigration statuses may be eligible for Marketplace coverage, but not savings. If your annual income is between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, you may qualify for the premium tax credit and extra savings. https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

3. Medicaid and CHIP

HealthCare.gov says you are generally eligible for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and CHIP if you meet state income and residency rules and have one of these statuses: Lawful Permanent Resident, Cuban or Haitian entrant, or COFA migrant; in certain states, "lawfully residing" pregnant women and children are also eligible. https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

You are generally eligible for Medicaid and CHIP 5 years after you get "qualified non-citizen" status, which is called the 5-year waiting period. HealthCare.gov says there is no waiting period if you are a Lawful Permanent Resident who used to have certain other statuses, like refugee or asylee (someone granted asylum), and that states have the option to remove the waiting period for pregnant women and children who are "lawfully residing." Medicaid may cover treatment of an emergency medical condition if you meet all eligibility criteria in the state except the immigration status. https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

4. Three terms for comparing plans

HealthCare.gov defines the premium as the amount you pay for your health insurance every month; the deductible as the amount you pay for covered health care services before your plan starts to pay (with a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself, but HealthCare.gov adds that all Marketplace plans pay the full cost of certain preventive benefits even before you meet your deductible, and many plans pay for certain services, like a checkup, before the deductible is met, so check your plan details); and the out-of-pocket maximum as the most you have to pay for covered services in a plan year: after you spend this amount on in-network care and services, your plan pays 100% of the costs of covered benefits. The out-of-pocket maximum does not include your monthly premiums, anything you spend on services your plan does not cover, or out-of-network care. HealthCare.gov also notes that the plan with the lowest monthly premium may not be the best match for you. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/premium/ https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/deductible/ https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/

5. Health centers

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) says it funds about 1,400 health centers that run more than 16,200 service sites in all U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia, in cities and rural areas. Its tool finds a center near you: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Before you apply, check your current eligibility and the effective dates with your state's Marketplace or Medicaid/CHIP program: HealthCare.gov says the Medicaid and CHIP rules for lawfully residing pregnant women and children, and whether the 5-year waiting period has been removed, depend on your state, and that the savings changes apply starting January 1, 2027, not before. https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/

Next in this series: Schools and education.

Official sources

Published on Mahjar Post on October 26, 2026. Sources: official U.S. government pages linked above.

Reports summarised from the sources linked on each story page. Corrections welcome.