Immigrant children are an important and growing segment of the U.S. population. However, their health and wellbeing is dire compared to their U.S. Citizen counterparts. Since 1996 all legal immigrants – including children - have faced legal barriers that restrict them from accessing health care. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a law that overhauled welfare, legal immigrants are barred from Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and other safety-net services for the first five years that they live in the U.S. After the five years, legal immigrants face other barriers before becoming eligible for these programs. These barriers are imposed regardless of need and cause undue harm to children, who are restricted from health care services solely because they are legal immigrants.

The “Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act” (ICHIA) gives states the option to provide federally-funded Medicaid and SCHIP, low-income legal immigrant children and pregnant women. Allowing states the flexibility to meet the public health needs of their population, while ensuring that children have equitable access to health coverage, creates healthier outcomes for all.

NCLR is extremely supportive of “ICHIA." We encourage you to learn more about “ICHIA” and immigrant children’s access to health care by using the resources on this page. In addition, you can help to advance “ICHIA” by taking action by using the alerts to the side.

Senate and House Cosponsors of "ICHIA"

All Content © 2009 NCLR. All Rights Reserved