Public Charge Rule Takes Effect Amid Worries Of Medicaid Chilling Effect

Federal immigration officials on Monday (Feb. 24) began enforcing new rules that will deny green cards and some visas to immigrants who are in poor health or deemed likely to rely on Medicaid. For the first time, the use of Medicaid is being treated as a significant negative factor -- a change that has alarmed Medicaid advocates, who say the policy is deterring immigrant families from seeking needed health care. The so-called public charge rule dramatically toughens existing regulations that...