Green Card Holder Health Insurance

Green Card holders in the U.S. can get health insurance through their employers, a private insurance company of their choosing, or an international health insurance plan. If you meet certain low-income requirements, you may qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, various subsidies, or Marketplace insurance.

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Are you an immigrant in the United States with a Green Card who needs to find health insurance? Are you still waiting for your Green Card to finish processing but need temporary insurance in the meantime?

This Pacific Prime blog post is designed for you! This is the core article in a mini-series of blog posts about health insurance for Green Card holders.

Not only will we show you where you can read all of our articles in this series, but we will introduce you to many health insurance options for Green Card holders, seniors, parents, and those who are still waiting on their Green Card.

We highly recommend considering an international health insurance plan or an annual travel insurance plan if you think you may travel to your home country with some regularity.

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Medical Insurance Options After Getting a Green Card

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Green Card holders can get medical coverage from their employers, a private insurance company, or government-funded programs for low-income families and individuals. Green Card holders are lawfully permanent residents in the U.S., so they can get insurance in almost every way U.S. citizens can.

There will be some additional qualifications for government-funded programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP. These programs require immigrants to have lived in the U.S. for 5 consecutive years with the intent of permanently residing in the country. This is known as the 5-Year Residency Rule.

If you’d like coverage from Medicare, you’ll also be required to have contributed to the tax system.

Here is a list of viable health insurance options for Green Card holders:

Coverage from your employer
Private health insurance companies
Short-Term Travel Insurance (including travel medical plans)
Long-Term International Health Insurance
The ACA Marketplace
Advanced Premium Tax Credits
Cost Sharing Reductions
Medicaid

Learn more about Health Insurance for Newly Approved Green Card Holders by reading this article.

Health Insurance for Green Card-Holding Parents

Low-income parents with Green Cards may qualify to get CHIP medical coverage for their children. Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a government-funded program for children and pregnant people who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but too little to pay for private insurance.

CHIP typically followed the 5-Year Residency Rule, until recently. As of June 2024, 36 states have chosen to waive this waiting period for children and 30 states now waive this waiting period for pregnant people.

Review the following chart to see if your state of residence will cover you if you’re pregnant and/or your child(ren) if you meet the income requirements, regardless of how long you’ve lived in the U.S. or the status of your Green Card.

CHIP Coverage for Immigrants to the U.S. by State
State (or D.C.)	CHIP for Children	CHIP for Pregnant People
D.C.	✓	✓
Washington	✓	✓
California	✓	✓
Nevada	✓	✓
Colorado	✓	✓
New Mexico	✓	✓
Nebraska	✓	✓
Minnesota	✓	✓
Wisconsin	✓	✓
Arkansas	✓	✓
Kentucky	✓	✓
Ohio	✓	✓
Maine	✓	✓
Vermont	✓	✓
New Hampshire	✓	✓
Massachusetts	✓	✓
New York	✓	✓
Connecticut	✓	✓
Rhode Island	✓	✓
Pennsylvania	✓	✓
New Jersey	✓	✓
Delaware	✓	✓
Virginia	✓	✓
Maryland	✓	✓
West Virginia	✓	✓
North Carolina	✓	✓
South Carolina	✓	✓
Georgia	✓	✓
Hawaii	✓	✓
Oregon	✓	✗
Montana	✓	✗
Utah	✓	✗
Texas	✓	✗
Iowa	✓	✗
Illinois	✓	✗
Louisiana	✓	✗
Florida	✓	✗
North Dakota	✗	✓
Wyoming	✗	✓
Idaho	✗	✗
South Dakota	✗	✗
Arizona	✗	✗
Kansas	✗	✗
Oklahoma	✗	✗
Missouri	✗	✗
Indiana	✗	✗
Michigan	✗	✗
Tennessee	✗	✗
Mississippi	✗	✗
Alabama	✗	✗
Alaska	✗	✗

Read our article Health Insurance for Green Card Holding Parents to see all of the options parents have to get coverage for themselves and their children.

Health Insurance for Senior Green Card Holders

Senior Green Card holders over the age of 65 may get health insurance through Medicare. To qualify for Medicare, immigrants must be lawfully present residents (Green Card holders), have lived in the U.S. for a minimum of 5 consecutive years, and contributed to the tax system.

Individuals who aren’t yet age 65 but who have certain disabilities or illnesses may also qualify for Medicare.

Lawfully present immigrants may qualify for Medicare under 65 if they have:

Diabetes
A stroke
Chronic heart failure
End-Stage Renal Disease
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)

Senior immigrants with Green Cards can also get insurance through Medicaid if they meet the low-income requirements created by their state of residence. See your local state’s Medicaid website to see if you qualify.

Read our post Senior Green Card Holders’ Health Insurance to see all the health insurance options available for the elderly.

Health Insurance While Waiting for a Green Card

Immigrants who are waiting for their Green Card to finish proceeding can still get health insurance through visitor insurance, short-term insurance plans, travel medical plans, state-run programs for unlawful immigrants, and international health insurance.

Visitors’ Insurance, also known as travel insurance, offers short-term coverage for under a year for emergency medical care and treatments. It also includes coverage for trip expenses and belongings benefits. These plans are typically not medically comprehensive.
Travel Medical Insurance, however, is short-term trip insurance that does include comprehensive medical benefits. These plans are designed to cover more than just inpatient coverage, but outpatient and prescription drug coverage as well. GeoBlue, VUMI, and IMG offer these types of plans.
State-Run Programs include local agencies and organizations that provide medical coverage and healthcare for immigrants to the U.S. who may or may not have Green Cards. Immigrants will need to research their local state to see which programs they offer, if any. This table can serve as a starting point for your research.
International Health Insurance is one plan that provides worldwide coverage. No matter what country you travel to, including the U.S., you can receive healthcare and be covered by your provider. This option may be appealing to immigrants who know they will do a lot of international travel.

Read our article Insurance While Waiting for Green Card Processing to learn several more options of coverage.

U.S. Health Insurance Explained for Non-Citizens

Citizens of the United States typically use private health insurance to cover their medical expenses. This either comes through your employer or a private plan you select. Non-citizen immigrants to the U.S. can get private insurance with or without a Green Card if they can afford it.

New immigrants to the U.S. who can’t afford private insurance will want to consider government-subsidized health coverage. These options include:

Medicaid
CHIP
The ACA Marketplace
Advanced Premium Tax Credits
Cost Sharing Reductions

Many of these programs were initiated through the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare) to make high-quality healthcare more affordable and accessible to all residents of the U.S.

To learn more about the U.S. healthcare system, its costs, and how it affects non-citizens (like immigrants), read our article U.S. Health Insurance for Non-Citizens.

How a Broker Can Save You Time and Money on Insurance

Buying insurance through a broker can save you money, introduce you to more options, and simplify your navigation of an unfamiliar international market. Because brokers are experts in the market, they can direct you to the best plans that meet your healthcare needs and have the best monetary value.

Brokers can save you time because they do the insurance plan research and analysis for you. As partners with numerous insurance companies, they have inside knowledge of the plans available on the market and can sort through the information for you.

Brokers can be an invaluable resource as you search to find the right insurance plan for your needs.

Read more about what an insurance broker is and how they can help you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get medical coverage as a Green Card holder?

Green Card holders can get medical coverage just like any other permanent resident or citizen of the U.S. Private health insurance is the most common method in the U.S., but immigrants who have low income may prefer government-subsidized programs like Medicaid, CHIP, and the Marketplace.

Are Medicare and Medicaid options for Green Card holders?

Medicare and Medicaid are health insurance options available for qualifying lawfully permanent residents (LPRs) of the U.S. Green Card holders are LPRs, and if they meet the age, income, and/or residency requirements for Medicare and Medicaid, they can be insured through these programs.

What does the 5-Year Residency Rule mean?

The 5-Year Residency Rule for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP states that a non-citizen of the U.S. must reside in the country for a minimum of 5 consecutive years before they can receive coverage. Some states, however, will waive this waiting period for Medicaid and CHIP.

How do I qualify to get insurance through the Marketplace?

Individuals can qualify to get insurance through the Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare) if they 1) live in the U.S., 2) are a U.S. citizen, national, or legally present non-citizen, and 3) are not incarcerated.

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Conclusion

We’ve now discussed many health insurance options for Green Card holders in the U.S. Now that you are a lawfully permanent resident of the United States, you have many, many options available for you to get medical coverage.

If you don’t yet have a Green Card, be sure to read our article for individuals who are still waiting to change their residency status.

If you’re interested in international health insurance or travel insurance, try out our obligation-free insurance quote generator. With it, you can compare benefits and prices from over 50,000 plans! You can also speak to one of our Pacific Prime representatives to answer your questions.

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Author
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Serena Fung

Head of Content at Pacific Prime

Serena Fung is the Head of Content at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 6+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.