Drishti Pillai, PhD, MPH
@drishp.bsky.social
Associate Director, Racial Equity & Health Policy; Director, Immigrant Health Policy @KFF.org
PhD from George Washington University
MPH from Emory University
BS from The Ohio State University
PhD from George Washington University
MPH from Emory University
BS from The Ohio State University
@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.
November 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
@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.
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...
New piece by @kff.org discusses these changes and their implications www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
November 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
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...
New piece by @kff.org discusses these changes and their implications www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
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
November 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
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
Something that is often missed in the shutdown (and other) debates about health care for immigrants is that research actually shows that immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, help subsidize health care for U.S.-born citizens by contributing more in premiums and taxes than they use.
November 13, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Something that is often missed in the shutdown (and other) debates about health care for immigrants is that research actually shows that immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, help subsidize health care for U.S.-born citizens by contributing more in premiums and taxes than they use.
November 2, 2025 at 1:41 PM
There have been a number of congressional and administrative actions undertaken by the Trump administration that are going to impact health coverage and care for immigrant families across America. New piece by @kff.org discusses all the changes in one place
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
October 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
There have been a number of congressional and administrative actions undertaken by the Trump administration that are going to impact health coverage and care for immigrant families across America. New piece by @kff.org discusses all the changes in one place
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
Provisions in H.R. 1 will end health coverage eligibility for many lawfully present immigrants, leading to 1.4 million more uninsured as of 2034 per the CBO. Undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for federally funded health coverage and thereby not impacted directly by the new law @kff.org
September 30, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Provisions in H.R. 1 will end health coverage eligibility for many lawfully present immigrants, leading to 1.4 million more uninsured as of 2034 per the CBO. Undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for federally funded health coverage and thereby not impacted directly by the new law @kff.org
According to estimates by the CBO, 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants are expected to lose health coverage due to the reconciliation bill by 2034.
This includes refugees, asylees, survivors of abuse, people on work visas, individuals with TPS, among others @kff.org
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
This includes refugees, asylees, survivors of abuse, people on work visas, individuals with TPS, among others @kff.org
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
September 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
According to estimates by the CBO, 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants are expected to lose health coverage due to the reconciliation bill by 2034.
This includes refugees, asylees, survivors of abuse, people on work visas, individuals with TPS, among others @kff.org
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
This includes refugees, asylees, survivors of abuse, people on work visas, individuals with TPS, among others @kff.org
www.kff.org/immigrant-he...
Immigrants play an outsized role as physicians and surgeons across the U.S., including in rural areas. Significant drops in the arrival of international students at U.S. universities could negatively impact the health care workforce in the long run, both overall and in rural areas. @kff.org
August 21, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Immigrants play an outsized role as physicians and surgeons across the U.S., including in rural areas. Significant drops in the arrival of international students at U.S. universities could negatively impact the health care workforce in the long run, both overall and in rural areas. @kff.org
"police are operating under the theory that he (suspected shooter) was either sick or believed that he was sick and blamed the illness on the Covid-19 vaccine"
August 8, 2025 at 11:20 PM
"police are operating under the theory that he (suspected shooter) was either sick or believed that he was sick and blamed the illness on the Covid-19 vaccine"
New @kff.org resource lets you search for implementation dates for health coverage provisions in the recently passed budget reconciliation bill and filter by key topics and groups such as provisions directly related to immigrant eligibility for health coverage programs.
www.kff.org/implementati...
www.kff.org/implementati...
August 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM
New @kff.org resource lets you search for implementation dates for health coverage provisions in the recently passed budget reconciliation bill and filter by key topics and groups such as provisions directly related to immigrant eligibility for health coverage programs.
www.kff.org/implementati...
www.kff.org/implementati...
I had such a wonderful time attending and presenting at the NALEO annual conference in Atlanta! I got to share @kff.org data on key issues impacting Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. and also learn from other experts and community leaders about their areas of expertise and focus.
August 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I had such a wonderful time attending and presenting at the NALEO annual conference in Atlanta! I got to share @kff.org data on key issues impacting Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. and also learn from other experts and community leaders about their areas of expertise and focus.
Yesterday, HHS revised its list of federal programs that many immigrants will be ineligible for to include community health centers. CHCs are a vital source of care for many immigrants; especially among those who are uninsured/on Medicaid, are Hispanic, may be undocumented, or have LEP
@kff.org
@kff.org
July 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Yesterday, HHS revised its list of federal programs that many immigrants will be ineligible for to include community health centers. CHCs are a vital source of care for many immigrants; especially among those who are uninsured/on Medicaid, are Hispanic, may be undocumented, or have LEP
@kff.org
@kff.org
Analysis by @kff.org shows that children of immigrants grow up to attain higher education and incomes than their counterparts with U.S.-born parents, plus they make up 2X the share of physicians and surgeons as they do the population.
www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
June 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Analysis by @kff.org shows that children of immigrants grow up to attain higher education and incomes than their counterparts with U.S.-born parents, plus they make up 2X the share of physicians and surgeons as they do the population.
www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
Immigrants make up over a quarter of direct care workers in long term care settings (such as nursing homes, residential care facilities, and home-based care), rising to 1 in 3 direct care workers who provide care to patients in home and community based settings
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
June 21, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Immigrants make up over a quarter of direct care workers in long term care settings (such as nursing homes, residential care facilities, and home-based care), rising to 1 in 3 direct care workers who provide care to patients in home and community based settings
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
Over one in four (27%) physicians and surgeons at U.S. hospitals, rising to one in three in FL (37%), CA (33%), NY (33%), and TX (31%), are immigrants. Policies aimed at restricting immigration could negatively impact the health and well-being of Americans.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
June 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Over one in four (27%) physicians and surgeons at U.S. hospitals, rising to one in three in FL (37%), CA (33%), NY (33%), and TX (31%), are immigrants. Policies aimed at restricting immigration could negatively impact the health and well-being of Americans.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
@kff.org analysis finds that immigrants account for over a quarter of physicians at U.S. hospitals. Policies aimed at restricting immigration could further exacerbate existing health care workforce shortages, potentially impacting the health and well-being of Americans.
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
June 18, 2025 at 1:22 AM
@kff.org analysis finds that immigrants account for over a quarter of physicians at U.S. hospitals. Policies aimed at restricting immigration could further exacerbate existing health care workforce shortages, potentially impacting the health and well-being of Americans.
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
13 years after the DACA program began, over half a million active DACA recipients from hundreds of countries of birth reside all over the U.S., with a majority working and 4 in 10 who are parents.
The budget bill would eliminate their ACA coverage eligibility.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
The budget bill would eliminate their ACA coverage eligibility.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
June 11, 2025 at 9:35 PM
13 years after the DACA program began, over half a million active DACA recipients from hundreds of countries of birth reside all over the U.S., with a majority working and 4 in 10 who are parents.
The budget bill would eliminate their ACA coverage eligibility.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
The budget bill would eliminate their ACA coverage eligibility.
@kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
@wmata.com someone left their Samsung phone on the blue line to Largo, I think they got off at Pentagon City at around 3:50/3:55 PM today. If this is your phone, I left it with metro staff at the Rosslyn station! Hope you and your phone are reunited! Please share @wmatagm.bsky.social
June 1, 2025 at 7:59 PM
@wmata.com someone left their Samsung phone on the blue line to Largo, I think they got off at Pentagon City at around 3:50/3:55 PM today. If this is your phone, I left it with metro staff at the Rosslyn station! Hope you and your phone are reunited! Please share @wmatagm.bsky.social
In Their Own Words: Participants in focus groups conducted by @kff.org with likely undocumented Hispanic immigrants describe how immigration-related fears have impacted their and their families' lives, including the lives of their children, most of whom are U.S. citizens
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
May 8, 2025 at 7:15 PM
In Their Own Words: Participants in focus groups conducted by @kff.org with likely undocumented Hispanic immigrants describe how immigration-related fears have impacted their and their families' lives, including the lives of their children, most of whom are U.S. citizens
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
In recent focus groups conducted by @kff.org with likely undocumented Hispanic immigrants, many expressed how immigration-related fears are impacting their and their children's daily lives, mental and physical health, and future outlook
Full report here: www.kff.org/racial-equit...
Full report here: www.kff.org/racial-equit...
May 8, 2025 at 5:49 PM
In recent focus groups conducted by @kff.org with likely undocumented Hispanic immigrants, many expressed how immigration-related fears are impacting their and their children's daily lives, mental and physical health, and future outlook
Full report here: www.kff.org/racial-equit...
Full report here: www.kff.org/racial-equit...
April 20, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Today, the IRS agreed to share immigrant tax data with ICE for immigration enforcement.
Research shows that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay billions in taxes that help fund Social Security and Medicare. @kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
apnews.com/article/irs-...
Research shows that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay billions in taxes that help fund Social Security and Medicare. @kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
apnews.com/article/irs-...
April 8, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Today, the IRS agreed to share immigrant tax data with ICE for immigration enforcement.
Research shows that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay billions in taxes that help fund Social Security and Medicare. @kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
apnews.com/article/irs-...
Research shows that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay billions in taxes that help fund Social Security and Medicare. @kff.org
www.kff.org/racial-equit...
apnews.com/article/irs-...
March 29, 2025 at 9:28 PM
March 28, 2025 at 1:29 AM