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A man who sustained serious injuries while aiding the U.S. military in his home country of Afghanistan; a math professor and his doctor wife from Algeria, who sought better support for their child with autism; a young refugee family fleeing the conflicts of political strife and war in their native land: These are just some of the lawfully present immigrants living in Philadelphia who will lose federal Medicaid health insurance on Thursday, according to local organizations that work closely with refugees, asylees and others.
Many ask the same question, said Christa Loffelman, director of health and social services at the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition, one of the city’s largest refugee aid organizations.
“Why? I don’t understand why,” Loffelman said clients ask her. “And then it’s really hard to explain to them the political will that made this law go into effect, all this upheaval throughout the entire country.”
An estimated 8,000 immigrants across Pennsylvania are at risk of becoming uninsured because of new federal rules passed by Congress and President Donald Trump last year in H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
This group of Medicaid participants represents a small percentage of all residents who get their insurance through the program, which is typically paid for by both the federal government and states. But legal aid experts and immigration advocates say the new cuts could have a devastating impact on vulnerable people and families.
“Losing access to Medicaid … it puts their life in danger. It’s huge,” Maripat Pileggi, supervising attorney at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, said of the impact. “And through absolutely no fault of their own. These are folks who have done absolutely everything right. It’s really devastating to get these phone calls.”
Legal support organizations are encouraging people to file appeals before Oct. 1 to retain coverage while caseworkers and attorneys determine whether they still qualify for some version of Medicaid insurance, either at the federal or state level.
