On January 31, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to begin implementing the new “public charge” regulation on February 24, 2020. Before this change, when DHS decided whether a person could immigrate to the United States they did not consider the use of most public benefits. Under the new rule, public benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), and housing assistance (Section 8) will now be considered when U.S. immigrants apply to obtain a green card, a visa, or admission into the United States. Widespread confusion about this new rule (announced last year and blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court until last month) has led a growing number of immigrant families in Virginia to forgo benefits and health care – including many people not impacted by the new rule. The new public charge rule does not apply to all immigrants and many benefits – including FAMIS and Medicaid for pregnant women and children – are exempted from this new rule. This webinar will help organizations that work with immigrants in Virginia learn about the new public charge rule and understand how it impacts the health coverage options currently available to immigrants in Virginia.