OPINION: No One Should Have to Choose Between Citizenship and Health Care

HB 2360 Is the Right Direction for Oregon

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), hospitals have maintained financial assistance policies to serve low-income individuals and families facing health crises, including legal immigrants seeking permanent residency. Unfortunately, the previous federal administration proposed regulations that discouraged legal immigrants from enrolling in medical assistance, nutrition aid or housing supports that address the social determinants of health. These new regulations negatively impacted access to health care for individuals seeking permanent residency, because being on Medicaid would deem a person a “public charge,” losing their eligibility for citizenship. Oregon hospitals were adamantly opposed to these new regulations, as they unfairly targeted immigrants seeking permanent residency. HB 2360 seeks to address this inequity by allowing legal immigrants to access local financial assistance from hospitals without first having to apply for Medicaid.

Through HB 2360, legal immigrants seeking permanent residency will no longer need to fear that they may lose their eligibility for citizenship if they experience a medical emergency that they cannot afford. While all individuals will still have the option to apply for Medicaid, it will not be required in order to access charity care through hospital community benefit programs. This is absolutely a step in the right direction for our state.

No one should have to choose between losing citizenship eligibility and accessing the lifesaving care they need.

What is Oregon’s Financial Assistance Policy?

In Oregon, hospitals have policies in place for patients and families who are financially struggling but may not qualify for Medicaid. These financial assistance policies provide relief for patients with a household income of up to 400% of the federal poverty level, or roughly $100,000 annually for a family of four. Oregon was the first in the nation to implement these charity care thresholds for hospitals, and health systems provided roughly $277 million in charity care collectively in Oregon in 2019.