Sponsored by: Representative Corrine Brown (D-FL) and Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Summary: The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 includes a provision that requires Medicaid beneficiaries and applicants to prove their U.S. citizenship and identity by producing certain documents, such as passports and birth certificates. Representative Brown and Senator Bingaman’s bill would repeal this requirement and return authority to the states to determine when and to what extent citizenship verification is required. The bill would also ensure that the thousands of citizens who were wrongly denied Medicaid because they couldn’t find the necessary citizenship documents receive retroactive eligibility for the coverage they were denied.
PPNT Position: Support—Although the DRA was intended to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining Medicaid coverage, it has instead resulted in the delay or outright denial of Medicaid coverage and, subsequently, important health care services to hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens. It has also cost states and taxpayers millions of dollars to implement. (For more information, please visit http://www.cbpp.org/2-2-07health.htm.) This bill would help more U.S. citizens who are eligible for Medicaid to actually receive coverage and would help to prevent the refusal of coverage to those who are eligible simply because they do not have certain documentation.
This bill would help more U.S. citizens who are eligible for Medicaid to actually receive coverage and would help to prevent the refusal of coverage to those who are eligible simply because they do not have certain documentation.
Latest Action: 04/17/2007 – HR 1878 referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 05/15/2007 – S 909 referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
05/15/2007 – S 909 referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
Recorded Votes: None.
