FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date: April 1, 2021

Contact: William Lineberry, Marketing & Communications Manager

Enroll Virginia
804-366-3531 or william@vplc.org

Virginia Ends 10-Year Work History Requirement for Medicaid
Thousands from Virginia’s Immigrant Communities are Now Eligible for Coverage

Richmond, Va.–Virginia has ended its 10-year (40 quarter) work history requirement for Medicaid, making thousands of individuals in the state’s immigrant communities newly eligible for free, or low-cost health coverage available through the program.

“It’s a new day for immigrants in Virginia seeking health coverage,” said Jill Hanken, director of Enroll Virginia, a community-based project of the Virginia Poverty Law Center that provides free assistance with the application and enrollment process for Medicaid/FAMIS and the Affordable Care Act. “I encourage all those who have been kept out of Medicaid because of the 10-year work history rule to now apply and enroll.”

Before the 10-year work history rule ended April 1, 2021 legal permanent residents (green-card holders or LPRs) who had been in the United States for more than five years had to prove a 10-year (40 quarter) work history to be eligible for Medicaid.

Now, legal-permanent residents no longer must have an attached work history to be Medicaid eligible. A five-year legal residence is still required, as well as some other eligibility requirements.

The decision will have a significant impact on a wide-range of individuals in Virginia’s immigrant communities.

Those most impacted by the ending of the 10-year work history requirement will include: parents and other adults under the age of 65; disabled people; the elderly over the age of 65; and individuals who require long-term care services. The rule change will not impact immigrants who are pregnant and children, who are already eligible for Medicaid.

“My mother has been a legal permanent resident for 10 years now and every year we struggle with trying to find a good health insurance for her,” said Sunita Singh, a central Virginia resident. “This [the 10-year work history ending in Virginia] was really great news for her because receiving Medicaid will help her, and other permanent residents get access to the healthcare they need. My mother will be very grateful to receive Medicaid now.”

Help is available to individuals seeking to enroll in Medicaid. Enroll Virginia’s team of federally-certified and state-certified navigators are available in communities across the state to provide assistance throughout the entire Medicaid application and enrollment process.

All assistance is free and unbiased and available in a virtual, contact-less setting via Zoom. If an individual is not eligible for Medicaid, Enroll Virginia navigators can help them understand other options for subsidized coverage available to them through the ACA.

Consumers may contact Enroll Virginia’s staff by calling, 1-888-392-5132 and entering their zip code to be directly transferred to a navigator in their community. Consumers can also visit Enroll Virginia’s website: http://www.enrollva.org/get-help/ where they can find a local navigator and schedule an appointment.

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Enroll Virginia is supported by the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange, in accordance with the provisions of Va. Code § 38.2-6513(B). The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors.

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