Citizens and lawfully present family members can get health insurance coverage through Medicaid, CHIP, and Marketplaces even if other family members are not lawfully present. Family members who are not lawfully present, including undocumented immigrants, may apply for health insurance for citizens and lawfully present family members. For example, an undocumented immigrant parent may apply for health insurance for a citizen child.

When a family with mixed immigration status applies for health insurance, it only has to give citizenship and immigration status for those family members applying for coverage. Non-applicants, such as a parent applying for a child, do not have to provide citizenship or immigration status. Non-applicants will be asked to provide a Social Security Number (SSN), but do not have to provide one unless the family is applying for help paying for Marketplace coverage and the individual is the tax-filer for the household, and the individual has an SSN.

Federal and state laws protect the privacy of people who apply for or receive health care coverage or other public benefits. Under these rules, federal and state Medicaid and CHIP and Marketplace agencies may share information with other government agencies only for purposes of administering their programs, with limited exceptions. Healthcare.gov says on its website that information provided by applicants will not be used for immigration enforcement purposes.

You can browse related questions in the Marketplace Basics section.