Insurance

Key facts you should know about getting health coverage through the Affordable Care Act

If you are low-income, you may qualify for expanded Medi-Cal coverage and not have co-payments or monthly premiums.  More people will qualify for Medi-Cal through the Medi-Cal expansion, including single adults without children. If you are not low-income, you may still qualify for financial help from the government to buy health insurance and you should expect to pay at least a part of your healthcare coverage. Use Covered California’s online calculator to calculate your cost.  You and/or your family members cannot be denied coverage due to any pre-existing conditions.  Open Enrollment starts in October and you will be able to enroll in the plan of your choice over the phone at 1-888-975-1142 or online at www.coveredca.com     Immigration-Important Information for Patients with Medicare and those with Medicare/Medi-Cal coverage:  Applying for health coverage programs will not hurt your ability to obtain legal residency or prevent you from becoming a lawful permanent resident or a United States citizen, as long as health coverage funds are not used to pay for long-term or institutional care.

If you do not have a green card yet, it will not hurt your chances of getting a green card if you, your children or other family members receive health care services through Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Basic Health Care, WIC, prenatal care or other free or low cost medical care program.

If you already have a green card, you cannot lose it if you, your children or other family members use health care services through Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, WIC, prenatal care or other free or low cost medical care program.

If you are applying for U.S. citizenship, you cannot be denied the opportunity for lawfully receiving benefits such as free or low cost health care.

If you want to sponsor a relative, using benefits such as health care should not prevent you from sponsoring your relative. However, you will need to show that you or your co-sponsor earn enough income to support your relative.

If you are a refugee or asylee, you can use benefits such as free or low cost health care without hurting your chances of getting a green card.

If you are a victim of abuse who has filed a self-petition under the Violence against Women Act (VAWA), use of cash welfare and other programs will not count against you.

www.nilc.org

National Immigration Law Center  Immigrant Legal Resource Center

www.caimmigrant.org

California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative

Health Insurance and Coverage Programs

Millions of California residents are uninsured because their employers do not offer coverage, they cannot afford to purchase coverage or they face eligibility barriers associated with public programs such as Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. In 2005, one in four L.A. County residents was without health insurance, with substantial geographic disparities in rates of uninsured within the county. Proportionately fewer children are uninsured due largely to the recently expanded availability in children’s coverage programs.

 www.lahealthaction.org