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CALIFORNIA PRESSES IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE FOR CLARIFICATION ON WHETHER IMMIGRANT CHILDREN CAN TAKE PART IN HEALTH PROGRAM Since May of 1998, state health officials in California have asked the INS for clarification of its position on who is a public charge. The state is trying to increase the number of children covered by the California Healthy Families Program, which provides comprehensive medical coverage to children whose families fall between 100 and 200 percent of the national poverty level. According to the California Health Director, Kim Belshe, "the single largest outstanding barrier to enrollment of children is the federal immigration policy." This is because many of the legal immigrants who should benefit from the program are afraid to enroll because of the uncertainty at to whether they will be expected to reimburse the costs of the care. The INS has made it clear, at the request of California officials, that alien parents will not be charged for the costs of medical care for their citizen children, but the agency has not said anything about the ramifications for alien parents if their alien children receive benefits. The California program has to date enrolled 75,000 children since July of 1998, and continues to make changes to the program as required to increase enrollment and the number of children covered. Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. |
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