Pediatricians Report Immigrant Families Avoiding Medicaid, CHIP Amid Immigration Enforcement Fears
Forty percent of pediatricians surveyed by the American Academy of Pediatrics report children in immigrant families are avoiding healthcare due to immigration status concerns, with 31% reporting families avoided applying for Medicaid, CHIP, or food assistance. The survey of over 1,600 pediatricians conducted April-June 2026 found urban pediatricians reported higher rates of families retreating from care (48%) compared to rural providers (32%). A new federal public charge policy effective September 20, 2026 allows immigration officers reviewing green card and visa applications to consider enrollment in Medicaid, CHIP, housing assistance, and food programs as grounds for inadmissibility, which pediatricians say will further deter eligible families from enrolling.