by Empire Justice Center & NY Immigration Coalition - updated Jan. 2026 -
Starting Jan. 1, 2024, immigrants age 65+ can get FULL MEDICAID even if they do not qualify for PRUCOL status. This landmark expansion -- won by a coalition working for HealthCare4All -- is discussed in this article. This article explains how New Yorkers age 65+ who previously had only Emergency Medicaid, or who had no health coverage at all because they are undocumented, can obtain Medicaid.
See New Health Insurance Option for Undocumented Immigrants Over 65 Fact Sheet (Dec. 18, 2023 NYSoH).
UKRAINE -
Revised March 2023 - The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement issued:
PL 22-13 Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees Eligible for ORR Benefits and Services
Public Charge warning - if Ukrainian parolees later apply for adjustment of status through a relative or employment petition, receipt of certain federal benefits may be considered likely to make them a public charge. See more here. Note that Medicaid does NOT make someone a public charge unless it is for institutional care- but read about federal changes proposed in Nov. 2025 here.
Significance of policy -- Previously, only those paroled for more than a year were eligible for any federal benefits and there was a 5-year wait for those over age 18. (The 5-year wait did not apply for Medicaid in NYS, though, which covers Medicaid during this period).
Benefits include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (cash assistance), federal Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and SSI, as well as other benefits available to refugees.
How to tell who is a humanitarian parolee - They should have a stamp in their passport indicating they have been paroled for a specific length of time. This includes Ukrainians who come here through the new Uniting for Ukraine program.
Expands federal benefits to Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, but not those who are here on a visa (such as a tourist visa), through a family reunification route, or who received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) (unless there was an underlying humanitarian parole).
Undocumented immigrants age 65+ will be eligible for full Medicaid (as opposed to only emergency Medicaid) in Jan. 2024. See here.
Public Charge update - see here
New York's Exchange Portal: A Gateway to Coverage for Immigrants (9/14/15) by Empire Justice Center reviews current rules on eligibility and describes how immigrants can access health care through NYSof Health portal, including for emergency care for those who are undocumented and not PRUCOL.
interactive Marketplace eligibility questionnaire -- designed to help enrollment assistors and consumers better assess their potential eligibility for Marketplace coverage based on immigration status, age and income. This questionnaire is not an official assessment of eligibility. To receive an official determination of eligibility contact the New York State of Health Marketplace at http://www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or 1-855-355-5777
This tool was created jointly by the Children's Defense Fund - New York, the Empire Justice Center, and the Community Service Society through their work in the Health Care for All New York coalition.
Please see 2013 updates re PRUCOL status for people applying for or granted DACA status in this article.
See Public Charge webpage of the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition at PifCoalition.org/PC.
As of January 22, 2026, the Public Charge policy that the Biden Administration reinstated since March 9, 2021 is still in effect. This repealed the regulations issued in the first Trump administration, which temporarily changed the definition of who could be denied "adjustment of status" (green card) based on likelihood to become a "public charge."
However, if the regulations proposed by the second Trump Administration become final, more immigrants will be at risk of being denied adjustment of status if they receive public benefits - Read the Statement of the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition about the potential harm of the proposed regulations.
Read FAQ about the Proped Regulation - National Immigration Law Center and their comments submitted opposing the regulation
See FACT SHEET about Public Charge
As of January 2026, under the old rule that remains in effect, the only benefits that can be considered to make one likely to become a public charge are: (a) ongoing cash assistance for income maintenance including SSI (e.g, not one-shots or ERAP; and (b) government funded long-term institutional care. All Medicaid services other than institutional care do NOT make someone a public charge.
However, this can potentially change under proposed regulations by the Trump administration.- stay tuned. For more info about Public Charge and FAQs see:
Pubic Charge Regulation Toolkit by Protecting Immigrant Families -
Legal Services NYC KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: New York Immigrants are Eligible for Benefit Programs
New York State New Americans Hotline for a referral to an organization to advise you. 212-419-3737 Toll-free in New York State at 1-800-566-7636
Monday-Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Medical providers can call : NYLAG’s LegalHealth hotline: 212.659.6188
Legal Services NYC intake line at 917-661-4500
New York Immigration Coalition state-wide list of legal resources, https://www.nyic.org/providers/