Mass SJC Rules that Immigrants Cannot be Denied Subsidized Health Coverage

 
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on Friday in Finch v. Commonwealth Health Ins. Connector Authority that the state’s exclusion of thousands of legal immigrants from subsidized health coverage probably violates protections in the state constitution, and a legislative leader said the impact on the state budget could be significant. The court held that Massachusetts erred in 2009 when it cut health coverage for about 26,000 immigrants after state lawmakers eliminated $130 million in funding for the program to help balance the budget.

Wendy Parmet, a law professor at Northeastern School of Law, argued the case for the immigrants.

KJ