Drishti Pillai, PhD, MPH

Distribution of approved H-1B health care and social assistance visas across U.S. states

Analysis of USCIS data by @kff.org finds that NY (14%), MA (9%), CA (8%), PA (6%), and OH, TN, and FL (5% each) accounted for over half of all approved H-1B visas for health care and social assistance in FY '25. $100K fee could disproportionately impact these states.
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

H-1B visa approvals for health care and social assistance industries between FY 2022 and 2025

New analysis by @kff.org finds that H-1B visa approvals for health care and social assistance increased by 8% between FY 2022 and 2025. Policy changes such as the $100K entry fee could reduce the number of H-1B workers in these industries, exacerbating worker shortages.
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

In a @kff.org survey from fall '25, nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults, and one in seven who are lawfully present, said they had avoided medical care since January '25 due to immigration-related concerns -- recent increases in ICE presence could further exacerbate these challenges

Potential Impact of the Federal Pause on Immigrant Visas From 75 Countries on the U.S. Health Care Workforce | KFF This policy watch discusses the implications for the U.S. health care workforce of the recent DOS immigrant visa pause for individuals from 75 countries deemed more likely to be a public charge.

DOS recently paused immigrant visas for nationals from 75 countries deemed more likely to become a "public charge". Analysis from @kff.org finds that immigrants from these countries account for 7.8 million workers in the U.S., including 1.2 million health care workers.
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

The latest poll also finds that health care costs are the top economic worry for Democrats, independents and Republicans. Looking ahead to the election, more than 4 in 10 voters say health care costs will have a “major impact” on their decision to vote & which party’s candidate they will support.

You can't find anyone more trusted in health care -- or maybe anywhere -- than nurses.

Chart showing shares of immigrant adults who avoided medical care due to immigration-related concerns

New piece from @kff.org highlights policy changes regarding immigration enforcement at health care facilities and discusses their impacts on the health and safety of the community amid reports of increased ICE presence in and around hospitals in Minnesota
www.kff.org/quick-take/h...

from @drishp.bsky.social and team

Health care one year into the Trump administration:

A trillion dollars in health care cuts.
Expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies.
Narrowing vaccine recommendations.
Cutting off funds to Planned Parenthood.
Deals with drug companies with unclear reductions in prices.

Shares of immigrant adults who express concern regarding safety of patient information

New data sharing agreement between CMS and ICE raises some key issues re compliance with court orders applicable in several states to share data only for individuals who are not lawfully present and also increases concerns around data privacy and protection
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

@kff.org

The U.S.-Born Unemployment Rate Rose After Trump Reduced Immigration Government data show the Trump administration’s policies reducing the number of foreign-born workers did not help U.S.-born workers in 2025.

The U.S.-Born Unemployment Rate Rose After Trump Reduced Immigration www.forbes.com/sites/stuart...

😱YIKES

New guidance from the Trump Administration's CMS cites Secretarial discretion to DROP mandatory state reporting of immunization rates for children + pregnant adults covered by Medicaid/CHIP

This is close to 1/2 the children in the US and more than 40% of births
medicaid.gov/federal-policy…

“If I stay, there can be no party. I must be out there in the night, staying vigilant...No, I can’t sleep. You sleep. I’m awake. I don’t sleep. I don’t blink. Am I a bird? No. I’m a bat.I am Batman. Or am I? Yes, I am Batman." - Abed, Community

@dogs.bsky.social
#dogsofbluesky

Some respite from the cold and chaos ☀️

Scenes from Kerala, India

Potential “Chilling Effects” of Public Charge and Other Immigration Policies on Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment | KFF This issue brief reviews the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed rule that would rescind 2022 Biden-era public charge determination regulations. The proposed public charge changes along wit...

Access the full analysis here: www.kff.org/medicaid/pot...

Number of people who could disenroll from Medicaid or CHIP due to public charge and other immigration-related fears

New analysis from @kff.org estimates the number of individuals, including citizen children, who may disenroll from Medicaid or CHIP due to public charge and other immigration-related fears. A potential disenrollment rate of 10%-30% could see 1.3M to 4M people disenroll.

Immigrants With Health Conditions May Be Denied Visas Under New Trump Administration Guidance - KFF Health News The Trump administration has directed visa officers to consider common health ailments, including obesity and diabetes, when would-be immigrants seek visas to enter the U.S.

Full @kff.org analysis here: www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

This analysis builds on some great reporting by @kffhealthnews.org who first shared details of the new State Dept. guidance: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Shares of U.S. adults with certain chronic health conditions by citizenship status

@kff.org analysis finds that almost half of noncitizen adults living in the U.S. have one of the health conditions that may be grounds for visa denial based on new State Dept. guidance. The analysis also finds that noncitizens are much less likely than U.S. citizens to have one of these conditions.

In addition, even prior to these changes, an increasing share of U.S. hospitals reported hiring immigrant nurses. Efforts to restrict immigration on top of the changes discussed in this video could further exacerbate nursing workforce shortages @kff.org

www.kff.org/racial-equit...

⚡ KFF’s Drishti Pillai reacts to a notice the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued that it will begin sharing Medicaid data it receives from states with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration enforcement. https://on.kff.org/3LVA1dK #QuickTake

CMS Plans to Share Data with ICE Could Exacerbate Immigrant Families’ Fears About Accessing Health Coverage and Care This policy change will likely exacerbate fears among immigrant families about health officials and providers sharing patient information with ICE, increasing their reluctance to access health coverag...

CMS just issued a notice that it will start sharing personal data of Medicaid enrollees with ICE for immigration enforcement, including data on immigration status, location, and phone numbers. @kff.org Quick Take discusses the impact this could have on immigrant families
www.kff.org/quick-take/c...

Refugee admissions trends for past decade

The refugee admissions cap has been set at an all-time low of 7,500 for FY26 and Congress has enacted significant reductions to refugees' and asylees' access to health coverage and other public benefits.
New piece by @kff.org discusses these changes and their implications www.kff.org/immigrant-he...

Chart showing the percentage of immigrants who have experienced negative impacts due to immigration-related worries since January 2025, broken down by status: total immigrants, naturalized citizens, lawfully present immigrants, and likely undocumented immigrants. Categories include increased stress, anxiety or sadness, problems sleeping, worsening health conditions, and at least one of these impacts. Source: KFF/New York Times Survey of Immigrants.

40% of immigrant adults — and 77% of likely undocumented immigrants — say immigration-related worries have led to negative health impacts since January, including stress, sleep problems, or worsening chronic conditions. https://on.kff.org/47OUlWR

The trillion dollars in health care cuts passed by Republicans earlier this year are backloaded and mostly won't take effect before the midterms. Letting enhanced ACA tax credits expire would take effect January 1, leading to big out-of-pocket premium increases and more people uninsured.

Wonky but important question for understanding the effects of proposals to convert ACA premium tax credits to health savings accounts: How big would the contributions be? Would they vary by income, age, and geography in the same way as the premium tax credits?

Under Trump, Immigrants Are More Fearful but Determined to Stay, Poll Finds

NEW: The New York Times and KFF surveyed 1,800+ immigrants in the United States.

Half of all immigrants say they feel less safe since President Trump took office, and yet the majority are resolved to stay.

Check out the poll's findings:

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...

When my patients aren't able to come for their follow-up visits, I wonder if this is the case.

Many times it is an issue with insurance, which at this point is almost a relief that it wasn't something worse.

KFF graphic featuring a quote from Samantha Artiga, KFF vice president and director of the Racial Equity and Health Policy Program. It says, “These changes would significantly increase immigration officers’ discretion in making public charge decisions and could allow them to consider factors that had been excluded under the 2022 rule, including use of health, nutrition, and housing programs such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”

⚡ KFF’s @sartiga.bsky.social explains that the proposed change to the public charge rule would likely lead to further declines in use of health care and programs among immigrant families. #QuickTake https://on.kff.org/445QwKs

shares of immigrants who report being worried about detention or deportation

share of immigrants whose health has been impacted by immigration-related worries

share of immigrants who say Trump administration policies have had an impact on the political party they support

Four in ten immigrants, including half who are lawfully present, worry about detention/deportation and say that these worries have impacted their health and well-being. Further, 44% of immigrant voters say Trump admin's immigration policies have had a major impact on who they support @kff.org

KFF/New York Times 2025 Survey of Immigrants | KFF KFF/New York Times 2025 Survey of Immigrants The 2025 Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The New York Times, takes an in-depth look at the experiences of immigrants during the first y...

New survey from @kff.org and @nytimes.com reveals deepening anxiety and fear among immigrants of all statuses amid the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement and restrictive policies

www.kff.org/kff-nytimes-...