The rule was struck down by a judge in Oregon in November of 2019, though the Trump administration continued to challenge it in the courts. (Photo: Shutterstock)
In his latest move to expand health care access, President Biden last week announced the roll-back of a Trump-era rule that would have made health insurance a factor for immigrants seeking visas into the country.
According to the proclamation, "My administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable health care. We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans."
Recommended For You
Announced in 2019, the rule would have allowed the government to deny entry to any immigrants if they were not able to obtain health insurance within 30 days of coming to the country. The rule was struck down by a judge in Oregon in November of 2019, though the Trump administration continued to challenge it in the courts.
A similar rule, the "public charge" rule, would have allowed the government to deny green card applications from immigrants if they had sought public assistance through programs such as Medicaid. Enforcement of the rule was halted last July by a New York judge due to the pandemic, and in March, the administration announced it would no longer defend the rule.
As a result of the administration's changing stance, the departments of Health and Human Services, State and Homeland Security are instructed to review their policies and re-revise any language based on the previous guidance.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
