Donate now to help refugees losing healthcare coverage
Over the past five years, Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) has helped nearly 4,000 refugees rebuild their lives in Virginia.
"Refugee newcomers arrive in the U.S. after intense federal screenings," said CCC CEO Jay Brown. "They have left behind their homes, their extended families and belongings, arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs after fleeing war, violence or persecution."
Many of the refugees served by CCC in recent years are from Afghanistan, where they worked alongside U.S. military personnel and diplomats.
For years, refugees have been able to access Medicaid immediately upon arrival, ensuring access to basic health care as they begin rebuilding their lives.
"Medicaid is a temporary support for most of the families we serve," said Brown. "As newcomers find employment and establish financial stability, they transition to employer-sponsored or other health coverage."
New federal policy threatens to disrupt that path to self-sufficiency. Beginning October 1, refugees who have not yet received permanent residency are no longer eligible for Medicaid. At the same time, recent changes to work authorization mean some refugees may lose their ability to work while their permanent residency remains pending, a process that can take years.
If initial work authorization expires before permanent residency is granted, families ready and eager to support themselves will be unable to work, access employer-sponsored health insurance, be ineligible for Medicaid, and unable to afford out-of-pocket payment for necessary medical care.
Federal funding that has supported refugee health and education services at CCC since 2010 also ends on October 1. These, and other sweeping changes, including the loss of SNAP eligibility, are creating new barriers that destabilize refugee families.
These untenable consequences are already impacting families in Virginia.
Ahmed, Hasma, and their infant daughter arrived in the United States in 2021. Ahmed risked his life working as an interpreter alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan. With CCC’s assistance, both Ahmed and Hasma found employment and began building a new life for themselves and their young daughter. As they continue to wait for their permanent residency, their work authorization has expired. Now, under the new policies, they will lose access to Medicaid and SNAP benefits and cannot work to support themselves.
"At Commonwealth Catholic Charities, we believe welcoming refugees strengthens our communities," said Brown. "CCC will continue to stand with our refugee neighbors and work alongside our community partners like Virginia’s Free and Charitable Health Clinics, Bon Secours Health System, Carilion Clinic, and Sentara Health. Their commitment to serving vulnerable Virginians is invaluable."
But Virginia’s safety-net providers are already overburdened and will be hard-pressed to absorb the costs and respond to the community's needs when thousands of legally admitted new Americans lose access to basic healthcare services.
