What is the Immigrant Health Toolkit?
The Immigrant Health Toolkit compiles information to help guide community members, providers, and advocates in addressing questions and issues regarding access to health coverage and care for immigrants in Massachusetts. This is a project of the Immigrant Health Access Coalition (IHAC), and it is possible thanks to the efforts of Health Care For All (HCFA), Health Law Advocates (HLA), the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. These organizations also lead the Massachusetts Chapter of the Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign.
Resources on this Toolkit are current as of November 2025.
Resources you’ll find below:
- Guides to Immigrant Eligibility for Health Insurance
- Attorney General Guidance
- Family Preparedness Guides
- CMS-DHS Data Sharing Talking Points
- Referral List for Immigration Legal Support
- Educational Resources
- Information on Public Charge
Immigrant eligibility for health insurance in MA
The following diagram lays out the coverage that immigrants may be eligible for based on their immigration status. For further explanations on eligibility and definitions of immigration status, see the MLRI guide linked below.
The passage of the Reconciliation Bill in Congress and the CMS Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Rule in 2025 will result in several changes to immigrants’ eligibility for health insurance in the coming months and years.
This document provides a timeline for when these changes will occur:
Beginning in January 2026, lawfully present immigrants with income below 100% FPL will no longer be eligible for Premium Tax Credits through the Marketplace. This is one of the first changes from the Reconciliation Law to take effect. As a result of this provision, the Health Connector is eliminating Plan Type 1 on January 1, 2026.
The following guide lists potential coverage options for individuals who are impacted by this change:
Family Preparedness Resources
The resources below are designed to help immigrant families develop emergency plans in the case of ICE detentions or deportations. These webpages can help advocates to walk families through plans for childcare, ensure that they have necessary documentation and are prepared in the event of a detention in the family.
CMS-DHS Data Sharing
Talking Points for Enrollment Assisters regarding the July 2025 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data-sharing agreement. Updated in August 2025 to reflect the temporary injunction granted to 20 states (including Massachusetts) who filed a lawsuit in response to this data-sharing.