Following the US government shutdown, the topic of non-citizens, specifically those with legal status, receiving healthcare benefits has gone viral.
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On one side, Democrats proposed repealing a section of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful bill” that limits healthcare subsidies for immigrants with lawful status. Opposingly, Republicans like J.D. Vance have argued against healthcare benefits for non-citizens by falsely blaming them for the extensive issues within the healthcare system. So, we asked Americans, “Do you think non-citizens should receive healthcare benefits?” The responses revealed various opinions from people affiliated with all political parties. Here’s what 15 Americans had to say:
1. “I’m a Democrat, and yes, healthcare should be a service that the government provides to any resident, using taxpayer money. What’s the point of having a government that doesn’t exist to make people’s lives better?”
—Anonymous
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2. “I’m an independent, and I say no. Once American citizens have access to free healthcare, we can then work on it for others. In the meantime, I can’t afford to get the flu.”
—Anonymous
3. “HUMAN BEINGS should be able to go to a doctor or hospital and not have to go into debt to stay or get healthy. And that includes dental and vision care.”
“Republicans really need to pull their heads out of each other’s anuses and stop flat-out lying, and actually BE pro-life. You are not pro-life if you don’t think everyone is entitled to healthcare benefits.”—Anonymous
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4. “As a Democrat, I say no. Healthcare is a privilege in America, sadly, not a right. It is not right that they just get a free ride.”
—Anonymous
5. “Health care is a human need, not a privilege tied to citizenship. When non-citizens are denied access, people often wait until an illness becomes severe before seeking help. That drives up costs and puts more strain on hospitals.”
“It also creates greater risks for the broader community because infectious diseases do not stop to check legal status. Offering at least basic and preventive care like vaccines, maternal health, and urgent treatment helps protect everyone’s health and saves money in the long run. Turning people away does not just punish them, it weakens the whole system.”—shilop
6. “I’d rather give immigrants healthcare than billionaires’ tax cuts.”
“And that’s how they argue in bad faith. They want you to believe that in order to cover immigrants, they’re taking away their ability to care for citizens. In reality, the money they’re trying to save isn’t beneficial to citizens but an attempt to offset the cost of tax cuts. They always say we can’t afford anything that helps middle and lower-class people. Yet we can afford to add billions to our debt to benefit the likes of Bezos and Musk.”
—destinyk4
7. “I work in a Level I Trauma Center, and we are legally and ethically bound to provide care to anyone in need that shows up at our doors, regardless of their ability to pay.”
“We have many undocumented people come through here — many of them injured while working in unsafe conditions — and we treat them the same as we would any other human being — with compassion, care, and respect.”—Anonymous
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8. “When we begin taking away healthcare — an innate right — to certain classes of people, what’s to stop it from being applied to natural-born citizens next? What’s to stop rights being taken away from our BIPOC, disabled, queer folks?”
—Anonymous
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9. “I’m a Republican, and no. It’s unfair to force US citizens to take on the burden of increased healthcare debt for noncitizens, which results in increased taxes or the rerouting of funds that should benefit US citizens to help cover the cost.”
—Anonymous
10. “No one should be gatekeepers to health.”
—Anonymous
11. “I believe that immigrants who are here legally should have access to healthcare benefits, but those who came into the country illegally should not have healthcare benefits that are subsidized by the government when so many of our citizens have to go without. If they are paying full price for the premiums, then more power to them.”
—Anonymous
12. “I think non-citizens should be able to purchase it at cost and not receive a subsidy until they begin the naturalization process legally.”
“If you don’t give people that option, then they will forgo healthcare until an emergency. We cannot expect doctors to refuse treatment to those in dire need. That would be cruel to the doctor AND the patient, and we do absorb those ER costs in our own hospital bills. It’s not impossible to provide cheaper treatment to those individuals. I’ve been to the hospital in both the UK and France. When I inquired about payment, they laughed at me. I didn’t even have to fill out forms. It just wasn’t an issue. So it’s not impossible. We need to find a better way.”—Anonymous
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13. “Anyone who walks into a hospital and needs treatment should get the treatment that they need, and it shouldn’t cost them a dime.”
“The fact that a so-called ‘first-world country’ allows people to suffer and die because of immigration status or ability to pay, when we have the resources to help them, is an absolute disgrace.”—Anonymous
14. “I’m a moderate, and no. Why should immigrants receive healthcare benefits when we, as citizens, have to figure out our own healthcare insurance through employment as soon as we turn 26? If all of us have to figure it out, why should immigrants get this privilege?”
—Anonymous
And finally…
15. “Yes, hundreds of thousands of legal residents pay taxes and support systems from which they don’t benefit, such as social security, etc., and regardless of their economic contributions, healthcare is a basic human right.”
“But outside of this small slice of the debate, we should be rethinking access to healthcare entirely, because at present, NO one can afford access to their healthcare long term and with dignity under the current system.”—Anonymous
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
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