Medicaid Eligibility Expansion Regardless of Immigration Status and Insurance Coverage Among Latinos Seen in Community Health Centers, 2018‒2023.

This article evaluates the impact of 2021 Medicaid eligibility expansions in California and Oregon that extended coverage to adults aged 50 to 64 regardless of immigration status, focusing on Latino patients receiving care in community-based health centers (CHCs). Using electronic health record data from 40,602 Latino patients across states that did and did not expand eligibility, the study found significant increases in Medicaid-insured visits and corresponding decreases in uninsured visits among Spanish-preferring Latino men and women in expansion states, particularly by the third year after the policy change. No significant changes were observed among English-preferring Latinos or in states without eligibility expansion. These findings suggest that removing immigration-related restrictions on Medicaid eligibility may improve insurance coverage and access to care for some Latino communities, though barriers such as language and enrollment challenges may delay uptake.