State Officials, Advocates Request More Flexibility in Enforcing Federal Law That Requires Proof of Citizenship for Medicaid Eligibility

(Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Monday June 05,2006)

The federal government is receiving requests from state officials and patient advocates for greater flexibility in the enforcement of a new law that will require Medicaid enrollees and applicants to confirm their citizenship beginning July 1, Knight Ridder/Arizona Daily Star reports. (Pugh, Knigh Ridder/Arizona Daily star, 6/5). The measure was included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which was signed into law by President Bush in February. Under the law, individuals seeking care through Medicaid as of July 1 will be required to show proof of U.S. Citizenship--such as a birth certificate, passport or another form of identification. The law's intent is to prevent undocumented immigrants from claiming to be citizens in order to receive benefits only provided to legal residents (Kaiser Daily Health Policy report, 4/11). The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the law will save $220 million between 2006 and 2010 and remove 35,000 people from Medicaid by 2015. However, some experts worry that eligible Medicaid enrollees who cannot provide the necessary documentation also stand to lose their coverage. In addition, state officials fear the law will create a large administrative burden and confuse beneficiaries (Knight Ridder/Arizona Daily Star, 6/5). Critics say the new requirements could prove difficult "for children, older Americans and poor people born at home in rural areas who never received birth certificates," according the the New York Times. Jennifer Ng'andu, health policy expert at the Hispanic rights group National Council of La Raza, said, "The documentation requirements will cause confusion about eligibility and will put up barriers to enrollment" (Pear, New York Times, 6/5).

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