News: Uniited States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that immigrants can use health care to get treatment or preventative services for the COVID-19 coronavirus without having it held against them for public charge purposes. U.S. Citizens or Lawfully Present Immigrants Health Insurance Did you have health insurance last year? If not, you can apply for Medicaid or Dr. Dynasaur to see if you are eligible. Vermont Health Connect is also an option. The open enrollment period for buying (or changing) a 2019 Vermont Health Connect plan was November 1 - December 15, 2018. You can’t apply now for a 2019 Qualified Health Plan through Vermont Health Connect unless you have a “qualifying event” like losing insurance from your job, getting pregnant or having a baby. You can apply for Medicaid or Dr. Dynasaur any time, even if you don’t have a qualifying event. Find information about who is eligible for health insurance in the U.S. Penalties Were you able to buy insurance through Vermont Health Connect in 2018? If you were, but you decided not to buy health insurance, you may have to pay a tax penalty, or apply for an exemption. If you did not have health insurance in 2018, you should apply for an exemption in order to avoid the tax penalty. If you do not have insurance between January - December 2019, there is no tax penalty. For more information about the penalty and exemptions see our Health Insurance, Taxes and You page. Also, find information about other exemptions for immigrants. Undocumented or DACAmented Immigrants Health Insurance You cannot get health insurance through Vermont Health Connect. You are not required to have health insurance. Penalties You do not owe a tax penalty for not having health insurance, even if you have a Social Security number. (Find information about other exemptions for immigrants.) More Information Immigrants, Taxes and the Affordable Care Act — This article explains generally how the Affordable Care Act applies to immigrants. Find more information about health care issues for immigrants. Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers — This web page has general information on ITINs. An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS to people who are not eligible for a Social Security Number. Print
