Undocumented adult immigrants will lose access to state health care in January 2026, after lawmakers voted to amend the policy to only cover children.

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Republicans argue the change will reduce spending and put Minnesotans first.

Democrats believe gutting the benefits will make it more expensive in the long run when immigrants are treated without insurance.

The Department of Human Services said as of April 24, at least 15,000 undocumented immigrants, who are adults, are enrolled in MinnesotaCare.

“The prospect of them being eligible for this insurance coverage was greeted with a lot of excitement because we now knew there’d be a source of reimbursement for their care,” Steve Knutson, Neighborhood Healthsource executive director, said.

Neighborhood Healthsource treats at least 100 immigrants per month. They welcome uninsured patients, but the cost is at least $250 per visit.

After December of this year, the clinic will go back to footing the bill.

“So what it might mean for us is we have to consider closing a site, reducing our staff, or cutting our costs somehow,” Knutson said. “If you would have looked at this situation four or five years ago, we didn’t have this number of undocumented patients in our midst. Today, we do, and so that’s just more patients whose uncompensated care has to be absorbed in the system.”

Knutson said uninsured undocumented immigrants will likely show up to emergency rooms for care in higher numbers, but the cost will still trickle down to Minnesotans.

“It means we’ll pay higher prices for commercial patients who are insured commercially, and we’ll have to help subsidize that. That’s the way the system works, like it or not,” Knutson said.

Undocumented adult immigrants who are already enrolled in MinnesotaCare will lose coverage after December of this year.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to all the major hospital systems in Minnesota, asking how this will impact costs. We’re still waiting on a response.