Unfinished business: the restoration of immigrant health access after welfare reform

One in ten Americans is a recent immigrant and, until 1996, even the poorest had access to health care through Medicaid. That changed radically with the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the federal welfare reform law, which sharply restricted immigrant access to public benefits, including Medicaid. This issue of States of Health looks at PRWORA's impact--and what advocates and immigrants are doing to restore health care access for these newcomers, who are among the most vulnerable in our communities.