The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued new rules last week to make it easier for states to approve applicants to the Medicaid program.
The rules, issued July 2, expand the types of documentation allowed to prove citizenship to include school records, passports, and in some cases, written affidavits.
"We recognize the diversity of beneficiaries served by Medicaid and these new guidelines provide for a range of ways that citizenship status and personal identity may be documented," said Leslie V. Norwalk, acting administrator of CMS. "Our overriding goal is in ensuring that Medicaid dollars are being spent effectively on those who are qualified for coverage."
The new rule is designed to ensure that beneficiaries who are documented citizens can easily move through the application process without undue burden on them or the states, CMS said. One new aspect of the rule exempts some applicants from having to prove citizenship, including:
• children in foster care
• individuals already enrolled in Medicare
• individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income
• individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance
The rule also extends Medicaid benefits for up to the first year of life to a newborn whose mother was receiving Medicaid at the time of the child's birth.
The new rule does not apply to applicants and recipients who are legal immigrants. They must continue to provide documentation of their immigration status as required under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) effective July 1, 2006, CMS said.
CMS based the July 2 rule on more than 1,400 public comments received after publication of a citizenship interim final rule on July 1, 2006. Changes in this July's proposal also reflect laws mandated in the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, CMS said.