Medicaid and CHIP coverage for many immigrants lawfully present in the U.S. will end October 1, no matter how long they have been in the country. According to a report from the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, the affected groups include refugees, asylees, victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, and many admitted from Ukraine, Iraq, and Afghanistan for humanitarian reasons.

The change is part of HR-1, the federal budget reconciliation bill signed in July 2025,

The only lawfully present immigrants who would remain eligible would be those admitted for permanent residence, commonly known as “green card” holders, who are eligible after five years, as well as certain entrants from Cuba and Haiti, and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.

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