In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses new Kaiser Family Foundation survey findings about how fear of enforcement of immigration laws may be affecting Latino enrollment in the Affordable Care Act.

This report examines the direct consequences to family finances, health, and well-being when a member of the household is detained or deported. It is based on 20 in-person interviews with families who recently had a family member detained or deported and 12 telephone interviews with health centers, legal services providers, educators, and community organizations serving immigrant families in California, Texas, and the Washington, DC area.

The Kaiser Family Foundation/Episcopal Health Foundation Harvey Anniversary Survey examines the views, experiences, and long-term recovery needs of vulnerable Gulf Coast Texans who were affected by Hurricane Harvey. This survey – a follow-up to a survey conducted by the partners 3 months after the storm – measures residents’ challenges with housing, financial assistance, health care, and mental health, as well as views on priorities and preparedness moving forward. It finds many challenges are especially salient for affected residents who are Black, Hispanic, or have lower incomes, as well as those who experienced major home damage or remain displaced from their homes.

President Trump has intensified national debate about immigration by implementing policies to enhance immigration enforcement and restrict legal immigration. Recent findings show that the climate surrounding these policies has significantly increased fear and uncertainty among immigrant families, broadly affecting families across different immigration statuses and locations. The effects extend to lawfully present immigrants, including lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders, and children in immigrant families, who are predominantly U.S.-born citizens. In particular, findings point to both short- and long-term negative consequences on the health and well-being of children in immigrant families.
Potential changes to public charge policies intended to reduce use of public programs by immigrant families, including their citizen children, could further increase strains on immigrant families and lead to losses in health coverage. To provide insight into the scope of potential impacts of continually evolving immigration policy on children, this data note provides nationwide and state-level estimates (Table 1) of citizen children living in immigrant families and the number currently covered by Medicaid/CHIP coverage.

Media-only web briefing that released a new survey tracking the experiences of California’s previously uninsured residents under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). New survey provides a detailed assessment of how well the ACA is working for previously uninsured residents in a state that embraced the ACA’s coverage expansion opportunities by establishing the Covered California insurance marketplace and expanding its Medi-Cal program.

Steep Drops in Problems Paying For and Getting Care among Recently Insured, But Affordability and Access Problems Remain Eligible Latinos Obtained Coverage at Similar Rates as Whites; People Ineligible Due to Immigration Status Now Make Up 41% of Remaining Uninsured   MENLO PARK, Calif. – About two thirds (68%) of…

For Remaining Uninsured Residents, Cost and Immigration Status Are Main Obstacles Three years after the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions were fully implemented in California, nearly three quarters (72%) of the state’s previously uninsured residents now have health coverage, finds the fourth Kaiser Family Foundation Longitudinal Panel Survey, which is tracking…

On the cusp of the 2016 presidential election, the latest Kaiser Family Foundation/CNN partnership poll explores the views and experiences of white Americans without college degrees (a group defined in this survey as “working-class whites”), including how they feel about their own lives and the direction of the country, their attitudes towards government, their economic priorities, feelings about immigration and increasing racial and ethnic diversity, and personal experiences with employment and finances.

In September 2017, President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Without legislative or administrative action, individuals will lose their DACA status. Based on Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of Current Population Survey data, this fact sheet examines key characteristics of young undocumented individuals eligible for DACA. It shows that most individuals eligible for DACA are healthy and have health coverage, reflecting that the large majority live in a family with at least one full-time worker. Loss of DACA status would result in individuals losing work authorization and potentially being targeted for deportation. Employers would likely terminate individuals as they lose work authorization, leading to job loss along with loss of health coverage. Without access to coverage through an employer, many individuals would likely become uninsured since they are not eligible to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP or to purchase coverage through the Marketplaces. Employment and coverage losses would lead to increased financial pressure and reduced access to care for individuals and their families, who may include citizen children.

In order to better understand the particular needs of immigrants both in recovering from and preparing for future storms, this analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation highlights the views and experiences of foreign-born residents who were living in 24 coastal Texas counties hard-hit by Hurricane Harvey. Specifically, the brief explores the financial circumstances of immigrants following the storm, as well as their health care access, social support, and top priorities for rebuilding and recovery efforts in their area.