12/16/2013 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)
Washington – Reports say that many immigrants who may be eligible to participate in the system are hesitating to seek health insurance under the new health care law. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), many who are eligible to apply for coverage under the Affordable Care Act worry that the personal information provided on applications could draw attention to their family members who do not have legal status.
Adonias Arevalo, a 22-year-old Houston man with temporary legal status whose parents worried that his applying could draw the attention of immigration authorities to them, is quoted by the AP as stating of the issue, “They are afraid… The majority of families, they know it’s something they need to do. … They’re just afraid of putting themselves out like that.”
Cheryl O’Donnell, state director of Enroll America in Arizona, is further quoted as stating, “There is a lot of fear, particularly if the noncitizen is applying for a citizen child.”
As noted in the report immigration advocates and the federal government have taken steps to try to reassure families that enforcement agencies will not be provided their information.
According to the AP report, approximately a third of the nearly 40 million people living in the United States who were born somewhere else do not have health insurance.
This report is provided by Justice News Flash – U.S. Health News
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