AHA comments on proposed ‘public charge’ rule

The AHA Dec. 19 submitted comments on the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule regarding the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility, urging the department to “exclude Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from its public charge determinations.”  

Public charge determinations assess how likely it is that an individual seeking immigration to the United States will become dependent on government assistance for support and subsistence. These policy changes redefine what information DHS officers can consider during public charge determinations and expand DHS discretion in assessing whether individuals may become dependent on government assistance, potentially affecting their access to federal health care programs.