Medicaid Beneficiaries Now Must Prove That They Are Citizens

Medicaid applicants and enrollees will have to prove that they are citizens in order to qualify for benefits. The Deficit Reduction Act requires such proof beginning July 1 this year. Advocates should be aware of resources available to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in proving that they are citizens.

U.S.-born Medicaid beneficiaries must present either a birth certificate or a U.S. passport. Citizens born outside the United States must show a certificate of naturalization, a certificate of U.S. citizenship, or a report of a birth abroad.
Many citizens are at risk of being dropped from the Medicaid program. Particularly at risk are the elderly and mentally ill who may have lost track of their birth certificate or never had one.

Current enrollees should begin gathering these documents for themselves and their families. Illinois-born persons who have lost copies of their birth certificate can go to the Illinois Vital Records website at http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/birth.htm for instructions on how to order a new copy by mail, fax, phone, or in person. To have your birth record searched, go to http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/vital/pdf/birthfrm.pdf. Pay $10 for a copy and $15 for a certified copy.

U.S.-born citizens without a birth certificate can prove that they are citizens with a U.S. passport. Those without a passport may present other documents, according to Families USA (www.familiesusa.org). U.S.-born citizens without a passport must have a letter of no record from the State. The letter must show the citizen’s name and date of birth and state in what years a birth record was searched for and that no such record is on file. Then they must present at least one early public record. Such a record may be a baptismal certificate, a hospital birth certificate, a census record, an early school record, a family bible record, a doctor’s record of postnatal care, or a notarized affidavit of birth from an older blood relative with personal knowledge of the birth. Such a record must show the date and place of birth.

Minors may present a previous U.S. passport, a naturalization certificate, or a current and valid driver’s license, government ID, or military ID. If none of these records is available, the minor, accompanied by a U.S. citizen whom the minor has known for at least two years, may present a combination of signature documents (social security card, bank card, or library card).

The Social Security Administration accepts documents that might be easier for enrollees to supply but that the Deficit Reduction Act does not list. Such documents may be a religious record of birth, a record receipt of Social Security Insurance, an American Indian card, or evidence of civil service employment before June 1, 1976.

Whether the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services will accept documents that the Deficit Reduction Act does not list is unclear. So that families do not lose their health care benefits, advocates would do well to use existing resources and to work with states on implementing the new eligibility rule.

If you are unable to secure documentation or are experiencing long delays, contact John Bouman at 312.263.3830.