Medicaid: Health Care Coverage for Non-citizens
Federal changes to health care coverage for certain immigrants
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the federal budget reconciliation bill, also called the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBBA), into law. OBBBA removes access to health care benefits and coverage for people with certain immigration statuses.
In Wisconsin, this will affect people who get health care benefits through BadgerCare Plus and other Medicaid programs.
New Medicaid applicants: Starting October 1, 2026, due to a change in federal law from OBBBA, health care coverage through Wisconsin Medicaid will no longer be available to someone with a newly non-qualifying immigration status unless they are:
- Pregnant.
- Under age 19.
- Under age 21 and living in an institution for mental diseases.
If someone with an impacted immigration status is approved for a Wisconsin Medicaid program before October 1, 2026, they can use their health care benefits until then. New members may also be able to get up to three months of retroactive coverage. This means that they could get coverage for medical bills that they got up to three months before the month they applied.
Existing Medicaid members: Starting October 1, 2026, due to a change in federal law from OBBBA, all affected members who we confirm as having a non-qualifying immigration status will lose their coverage unless they are:
- Pregnant.
- Under age 19.
- Under age 21 and living in an institution for mental diseases.
Members can continue to use their health care coverage until then.
It is very important for members to know that we need to have their most up-to-date contact information to ensure we can communicate about changes affecting their eligibility. Affected members who are no longer eligible will be contacted.
Supplemental Security Income Medicaid eligibility
Even if a member with one of the newly non-qualifying immigration statuses still qualifies for federal and state Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, they will not be eligible for SSI Medicaid.
If a member is going to lose their health care coverage through SSI Medicaid, we will contact them.
This policy does not change the amount that someone would get for their federal or state SSI case payment.
List of immigration statuses that are no longer eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid programs after the federal policy change
This table shows the immigration status that are no longer eligible for health care through Wisconsin Medicaid.
| Immigration status | Eligible before October 1, 2026 | Eligible as of October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Amerasian | Yes | No |
| Asylee | Yes | No |
| Conditional entrant | Yes | No |
| Foreign-born member of a Tribal nation | Yes | No |
| Person granted withholding of removal | Yes | No |
| Person paroled for at least one year | Yes | No |
| Refugee, parolee, or special immigrant | Yes | No |
| Trafficking victim or their family | Yes | No |
| Trafficking victim with a T-1 visa | Yes | No |
| Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioner | Yes | No |
What happens after someone's health care coverage ends?
Impacted members will no longer have health care coverage and will stop getting health care benefits.
Before members lose their health care coverage because of the changes from OBBBA, we will contact them to let them know who in their household will be affected.
If an affected member has been told that their health care coverage is ending and they are pregnant, or they were recently pregnant, they should contact their local agency to report their pregnancy.
If someone loses their health care coverage, there are resources that can help them find and pay for health care.
Health care resources in Wisconsin
Resources are available to help people get and pay for health care.
BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services helps people pay for medical emergencies that could cause serious harm to someone if they don’t get immediate medical care.
This program is available for people who cannot get Wisconsin Medicaid because of their immigration status, including those who were impacted by the policy changes OBBBA, and who fall into any of the following groups:
- Are 18 years or younger, or 65 years or older
- Are blind or disabled
- Are pregnant
- Are 18-25 years and were in foster care or out-of-home care when they turned 18
- Have children under age 19 in their home
A Social Security number is not needed to use the program.
These pages have more information on how to find free and low-cost health care:
The BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan provides health care coverage for individuals who are pregnant who do not have health insurance and are not eligible for BadgerCare Plus because of their immigration status.
Services covered by the program include:
- Clinic visits
- Labor and delivery
- Prenatal care
- Prescription drugs
A Social Security number is not needed to use the program.
The Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) Program offers temporary health coverage and medical assistance to people with certain immigration statuses during the first eight months after they arrived in the U.S. or received their status.
Someone can apply for the RMA program if they have one of the following immigration statuses:
- Amerasian
- Asylee
- Cuban-Haitian entrant
- Refugee
- Special Immigration Visa (SIV) holder
- Victim of trafficking
- Any other immigration status eligible for refugee benefits under federal law.
The Wisconsin Well Woman Program provides breast and cervical cancer screening services to low income, uninsured, or underinsured women.
The Wisconsin Well Woman Program is a public health program, not a Medicaid program. It is not the same thing as Wisconsin Well Woman Medicaid.
What can someone do if the immigration status that is on file for them is not correct?
The federal government requires that we verify immigration status as part of eligibility determinations. To do this, we use SAVE, an online service managed by USCIS.
If the immigration status on file for someone is incorrect, they should:
- Contact their local agency and ask to have their status re-verified. This process is called “additional verification” and can take up to 20 business days to finish.
- The person will need to have immigration documents showing their correct status.
- Contact USCIS if their immigration status cannot be verified through additional verification, or if their immigration documents need to be corrected or updated.
- The SAVE Records: Fast Facts for Benefit Applicants (PDF) has more information about how to update, correct, or replace immigration status documents.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
No, you do not need a sponsor for BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid.
No, you cannot enroll in full coverage BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid. In limited situations, some individuals may be eligible for the following programs:
- BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan, covering pregnancy-related services.
- BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services, covering emergency medical conditions with a serious risk to the patient’s health.
No, you cannot enroll in full coverage BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid. In limited situations, some individuals may be eligible for the following programs:
- BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan, covering pregnancy-related services.
- BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services, covering emergency medical conditions with a serious risk to the patient’s health.
Maybe. The only way to know if your children are eligible for health coverage is by applying. You do not need to provide information about your immigration status or Social Security number when applying for benefits for your children.
Social Security numbers are required for members of your household who are asking for health care coverage. If an individual does not yet have a Social Security number but is eligible to receive one, they can apply for BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid first. During the BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid application, ask for help with getting a Social Security number.
- Social Security numbers are never required for BadgerCare Plus: Prenatal Plan and BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Emergency Services.
- In some limited circumstances, a Social Security number is not required for:
- Continuously eligible newborns.
- Pre-adoptive infants living in a foster home.
- Someone without a Social Security number who may only be issued one for a valid non-work reason.
- Tax dependents or tax filers living outside the home.
- Someone who refuses to obtain a Social Security number due to religious beliefs and can provide proof from a church elder or other officiant that doing so is against the church doctrine.
Yes. Refugees and people with certain other immigration statuses may be eligible for Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance. However, it is important to know that these are time-limited benefits.