No.
Immigrants in the country illegally are not eligible for Medicaid coverage under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state’s Medicaid agency. The only exception is for emergencies, as the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires medical facilities to provide emergency care to all people, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
Immigrants without legal status may apply for AHCCCS coverage on behalf of citizens, including U.S.-born children. Several studies have indicated that immigrants, particularly those without legal status, receive less health care than people born in the U.S. and use fewer Medicaid resources than native-born Americans.
This brief responds to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service, Immigrants’ Access to Health Care
- Immigration Forum, Fact Sheet: Undocumented Immigrants and Federal Health Care Benefits
- Healthcare.gov, Health coverage for immigrants
- KFF, Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants
- CATO Institute, Immigrant and Native Consumption of Means-Tested Welfare and Entitlement Benefits in 2020
- Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Are undocumented immigrants eligible for federal public benefits?
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
