The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide analysis regarding the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system.

In a Newsweek article this week, “The Five Biggest Lies in the Health Care Debate,” the myth that illegal immigrants will receive free health care ranked ranked number three on the list of health care lies gone viral. The article names Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who claimed in a USA Today Op-ed that prohibition of health care coverage for illegal immigrants is “functionally meaningless” without mandatory citizenship checks, for fanning the flames of misinformation. Health care experts, however, say that Medicare, which is the closest thing to the House bill proposal, has no such problem.

“The House bill doesn’t give anyone free health care (though under a 1986 law illegals who can’t pay do get free emergency care now, courtesy of all us premium paying customers or of hospitals that have to eat the cost). Will they be eligible for subsidies to buy health insurance? The House bill says that “individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States” will not be allowed to receive subsidies.”

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