MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Federal Medicaid Change Cuts Medical Assistance Coverage for More Than 5,000 Minnesota Immigrants

More than 5,000 lawfully present immigrants in Minnesota face changes to Medical Assistance eligibility beginning October 1 as new federal restrictions take effect.

ST. PAUL, MN (October 1, 2026). More than 5,000 lawfully present immigrants in Minnesota are losing access to federally funded Medical Assistance beginning Thursday as a major federal eligibility change takes effect, creating an immediate health coverage challenge for refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrant communities across the state.

The change affects noncitizen adults age 21 and older who are not pregnant and who hold certain immigration statuses, including refugees, asylees, Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, trafficking victims and some battered noncitizens. Minnesota's Department of Human Services says the change also affects eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs and the Minnesota Family Planning Program.

Beginning October 1, federally funded Medical Assistance eligibility for noncitizen adults is largely limited to lawful permanent residents who have satisfied the federal five-year waiting period or qualify for an exception, Cuban or Haitian entrants, and migrants from countries covered by the Compact of Free Association.

Children under 21 who are lawfully present and pregnant people remain eligible under separate provisions. DHS says lawfully present immigrants losing Medical Assistance may qualify for MinnesotaCare if they meet the program's other requirements.

The practical impact could be particularly severe for recently arrived refugees. Immigration service providers told MPR News that waits for permanent residency have lengthened substantially, potentially leaving some people without federal Medicaid eligibility for years while their immigration applications move through the system.

DHS is directing affected residents toward alternative coverage and operates a Refugee and Immigrant Helpline at 1-800-814-4806.

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