California Obamacare exchange verifies legal status of vast majority at risk of losing coverage

California officials boasted Monday that they will have to kick off fewer than 11,000 people from Obamacare because the state-run health care exchange was able to verify lawful immigration or citizenship status for the vast majority of the nearly 150,000 people at risk of losing coverage.

People who are not in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for health care benefits under the Affordable Care Act, although some Hispanic leaders say “dreamers” given tentative work permits should be able to get coverage because they pay taxes.

Covered California checked about 99,000 families representing 148,000 people. Roughly 9,600 families failed to provide documentation to prove their legal immigration or citizenship status. They will be sent pre-termination notices and instructions on how they can reinstate coverage by proving their lawful status. Final termination notices will be sent by the plans in which they are enrolled.

“While we hope that in the end no one who is eligible loses coverage, we are appreciative that so many individuals submitted documents to verify their citizenship or immigration status, meaning their coverage will remain in place,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “For the remaining group, we are required by law to begin the process of termination. Even for them, we are establishing processes so they can keep their coverage if they demonstrate their legal status.”