LAW ALLOWS LIFT OF 5 YEAR BAR FOR HEALTH COVERAGE FOR LEGAL IMMIGRANT KIDS

On February 4, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), which reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). CHIPRA includes the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA), which gives states the option to use federal funding to lift the 5-year waiting period on new, legal immigrant children and pregnant women to make them eligible for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (now called CHIP). The law also eliminates barriers to health care for immigrant children and pregnant women with sponsors.

-From: MIRA Bulletin 3 February 2009 and “PRESS STATEMENT: Immigrant Community Celebrates Obama's Signing of New Children's Health Bill”, MIRA Coalition, February 04, 2009.

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