Citizen and lawfully present family members can get health insurance coverage through Medicaid, CHIP, and marketplaces even if other family members are not lawfully present. Family members that are not lawfully present, including undocumented immigrants, may apply for health insurance on behalf of citizen and lawfully present family members. For example, an undocumented immigrant parent may apply for health insurance for a citizen child.
When a family with mixed immigration status applies for health insurance, it only has to provide citizenship and immigration status for those family members applying for coverage. Non-applicants, such as a parent applying for a child, do not have to provide citizenship or immigration status. Non-applicants will be asked to provide a Social Security number, but do not have to provide one unless the family is applying for help with costs for marketplace coverage and the individual is the tax-filer for the household. Non-applicants who do not have a Social Security number will not be required to acquire one or provide one in the application process. (45 C.F.R. 155.310; 42 C.F.R. § 435.406; 42 C.F.R. § 457.320; CMS, Immigrant Eligibility for Marketplace and Medicaid and CHIP Coverage).