Health insurance for mixed-status families: who can apply and what you’re asked

What a mixed-status family is

It is a household where not everyone has the same immigration situation: for example, undocumented parents with citizen children, or one spouse with a green card and the other with a different status. According to HealthCare.gov, many immigrant families are like this, and they can apply for Marketplace help, Medicaid or CHIP for the family members who qualify.

Who can get Marketplace coverage

According to HealthCare.gov, these people can buy a Marketplace plan:

• U.S. citizens and nationals.
• Lawfully present immigrants.
• People without documents can’t get Marketplace coverage, but they can apply on behalf of documented family members.

Starting January 1, 2027, according to HealthCare.gov, help paying for a plan is only for citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card), Cuban or Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Other lawfully present statuses can buy, but without help. And according to CMS, since August 2025 DACA recipients are not considered lawfully present for the Marketplace. These rules have changed several times; confirm your case on HealthCare.gov.

What information is asked, and from whom

According to HealthCare.gov:

• Family members who aren’t applying for coverage for themselves won’t be asked their immigration status, and the Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP can’t require that information from them.
• People applying for coverage must give their Social Security number if they have one. If you apply for help paying for the plan, the Social Security number of a household tax filer is also required, even if that person isn’t applying, when their tax information is used to verify the help. Other household members are encouraged to give it, but it isn’t required.
• If a person doesn’t have a Social Security number, leave the field blank. Don’t enter an ITIN in that field.
• If you apply for help paying for the plan, household income is still asked: according to the IRS, the help is calculated with household income.

How the Marketplace uses your information

According to HealthCare.gov, the immigration information you give, and information obtained from other sources, is used to decide eligibility, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may verify the status of people applying for coverage. The Marketplace says it shares information as described in its System of Records Notice or when the law requires or allows it. We can’t guarantee how other agencies will use that information.

If you have questions about how an application could affect an immigration case, talk to an immigration attorney before you apply. We don’t give immigration advice.

Options for each family member

A mixed-status family can combine coverage:

• Children or relatives who qualify: Marketplace with or without help, Medicaid or CHIP, depending on income.
• Lawfully present relatives without help starting in 2027: the Marketplace at full price or a private health plan.
• Relatives who can’t buy in the Marketplace: a private health plan may be an option, depending on the plan and the insurance company. If it is a limited-benefit plan, it does not replace Obamacare coverage, may exclude pre-existing conditions and does not help you avoid state penalties (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and D.C.).

Frequently asked questions