Immigrant seniors lose Medicare coverage despite paying into it : NPR

Key Points:

• Rosa María Carranza, a Salvadoran immigrant and child development professional in Oakland, faces losing her Medicare benefits due to a new law barring certain lawfully present immigrants from the program, despite decades of contributions.
• The GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump in 2023, disenrolls categories of immigrants including TPS holders, refugees, and asylum-seekers from Medicare by January 2024, aiming to reduce federal spending on immigrant health care.
• Experts warn this unprecedented removal of Medicare coverage for legal immigrants could lead to delayed medical care and worsened health outcomes among older adults who have paid into the system.
• California and other states with large immigrant populations are struggling to backfill lost federal health coverage due to budget constraints, leaving many lawfully present immigrants with limited health insurance options.
• Carranza's experience reflects broader fears among immigrant seniors about losing both health care and legal residency, highlighting the human impact of recent policy changes on long-standing community members.