The initiative focuses on immigrants who don’t have green cards but may still be eligible for Medicaid -- thanks to the New York State Constitution and a little-known 2001 state appeals court decision in a case called Aliessa vs. Novello.
The court’s ruling extends coverage to people who are considered "permanently residing under the color of law," even though they don’t have papers. Those in this situation include immigrants with a pending application, youth who have temporary permission to stay through President Obama’s deferred action program and people with life-threatening illnesses whose situation has been acknowledged by the federal government.
In these cases, the Medicaid is paid by the state only, without a federal contribution. This specific access is limited to New York State.
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