Graphic of the week: Access to care for Immigrants in Ohio (new national resources)

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HPIO’s recent policy brief “Access to Care for Immigrants in Ohio,” detailed how immigrants in Ohio face substantial barriers to healthcare access, including structural limitations related to the healthcare system and cultural factors such as stigma and discrimination. In 2023, more than 1 in 4 noncitizens in Ohio, which includes people who are green card holders, refugees, asylees and more, lacked health insurance, as illustrated above, making these individuals at risk for adverse health outcomes and significant financial strain.
 
Recent federal and state policy changes are likely to further reduce healthcare access for Ohioans who are immigrants.
 
The federal reconciliation bill HR 1, sometimes referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” made major changes to health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and the federal health insurance marketplace. These changes included a set of provisions that specifically restricted eligibility for certain immigrant populations who were previously eligible for these programs, such as refugees, asylees and victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.
 
HR 1 significantly narrows federal Medicaid eligibility for many lawfully present immigrants, with the changes poised to go into effect in 2026. These policy changes will leave thousands of immigrants without health insurance coverage and increase uncompensated care.
 
Several national organizations have produced resources explaining how federal policy changes will impact immigrant communities, including:

• Recent Trump Administration Policies that Impact Health Coverage and Care for Immigrant Families, KFF
• What Recent Policy Changes Mean for Immigrant Health Coverage, Commonwealth Fund
• Impact of H.R. 1 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” on Immigrants and Children of Immigrants Who are U.S. Citizens, League of United Latin American Citizens
• How H.R.1 Impacts Coverage for Non-Citizens, State Health & Value Strategies, Princeton University

 
Throughout the fall, HPIO has released a series of publications to explore the healthcare access and affordability impacts of recent policy changes, such as HR 1 and the state’s biennial budget bill.