HOUSTON (AP) — Day after day, Adonias Arevalo tried to calm his parents' nerves, attempting to convince them it was safe for him to apply for government-subsidized health insurance through the nation's new coverage system. [...] other immigrant families remain leery, and some are so concerned that they would rather see loved ones go without coverage than risk giving personal information to a federal agency. [...] many have eligible relatives who are citizens or legal residents. Since the system debuted in October, immigrant advocates and the federal government have been working to reassure families that their information will not be shared with enforcement agencies. Immigrant families are important to the success of the health care overhaul, especially in Texas, which has the nation's highest rate of uninsured people, many of whom are immigrants. Around the same time, a new page appeared on healthcare.gov titled "What do immigrant families need to know about the marketplace?" Under a heading for mixed-status families, it states: "Family members who aren't applying for health coverage for themselves won't be asked if they have eligible immigration status." Arevalo, who applied for insurance after talking to his parents, works as a community resources specialist at a community center run by Neighborhood Centers Inc. He moved to the U.S. from El Salvador when he was 14 and received permission in March to stay in the country for two years through a program offered by Obama to some immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 3 hours ago.
↧