Health Services for Immigrant Children: Opportunities Under Title XXI

This article notes the health care risks for immigrant children and describes recent restrictions on their ability to apply for Medicaid. It is reasonable to estimate that by the year 2001, there could be as many as two million immigrant children in the United States who are ineligible for Medicaid simply due to their immigration status. The article also describes the opportunities under the new federal law, Title XXI of the Social Security Act, which enables states to develop health care programs specifically for low-income immigrant children who are ineligible for Medicaid. Pediatricians, advocates for children, and health care providers who serve immigrant communities can use their knowledge of the opportunities in this new law to work with state lawmakers and health policy officials to help provide services to needy immigrant children.