Are unauthorized (“illegal”) immigrants covered by Obamacare? - NO
General Reference (not clearly pro or con)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Section 1312, page 64, “Consumer Choice,” signed into law on Mar. 23, 2010, available at www.thomas.gov, states:
"(3) ACCESS LIMITED TO LAWFUL RESIDENTS.—If an individual is not, or is not reasonably expected to be for the entire period for which enrollment is sought, a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States, the individual shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan in the individual market that is offered through an Exchange."
Are unauthorized (“illegal”) immigrants covered by Obamacare? - NO
PRO (yes)
CON (no)
[Editor’s Note: Based upon a neutral reading of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and bi-partisan third party analysis, this question seems to have a clear and obvious Con (no) answer, and ProCon.org has therefore presented the responses in a single column with no opposing perspective.]
James R. Edwards Jr., PhD, Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, stated in his July 2010 article "The Medicaid Costs of Legalizing Illegal Aliens," available at www.cis.org:
"The recently enacted health reform law, in part, expands eligibility for the Medicaid program. Illegal aliens remain ineligible for Medicaid beyond emergency services. However, this could change if they are legalized.”
The California Immigration Policy Center (CIPC) stated in its Apr. 4, 2012 report "Making the Affordable Care Act Work for Immigrants in California," available at www.caimmigrant.org:
"The Affordable Care Act explicitly excludes unauthorized immigrants from the federally funded Exchange."
