In a bid to eliminate all illegal immigrants from public health insurance programs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement a new initiative involving monthly reports, according to an exclusive report from Fox News.
Medicaid provides health coverage for low-income individuals, while the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers funds to states so that children in households who cannot afford private coverage—but also have incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid—can receive health coverage.
Here is what you need to know about the new eligibility initiative at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Medicaid cracks down on illegal immigrants in the program
On Tuesday, CMS announced a nationwide effort to remove all illegal immigrants from the public health insurance programs. An Aug. 19 exclusive report from Fox News outlined the initiative as follows: “Under the new initiative, CMS will issue monthly enrollment reports to states that identify any Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees whose citizenship or immigration status cannot be confirmed through federal databases.”
The report further notes that, among others, databases of the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program will be used to confirm the immigration status of enrollees in these health insurance programs.
On Tuesday, the first of these reports was sent out, with every state expected to receive a report throughout the month. Additionally, every state will be required to report the results of these verification checks back to CMS, according to Fox News.
“We are tightening oversight of enrollment to safeguard taxpayer dollars and guarantee that these vital programs serve only those who are truly eligible under the law,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on Tuesday.
Adding to this statement, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz noted that, “Every dollar misspent is a dollar taken away from an eligible, vulnerable individual in need of Medicaid and CHIP. This action underscores our unwavering commitment to program integrity, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and ensuring benefits are strictly reserved for those eligible under the law.”
Since being elected to office at the beginning of the year, the Trump administration has taken stricter action to ensure that all public benefits are accessed solely by American citizens. In pursuit of this, an executive order was issued by the Office of the President in February directing “federal agencies to identify programs currently allowing illegal immigrants to receive federal benefits and take necessary action to ensure non-residents are not obtaining taxpayer-funded benefits in violation of a law passed in 1996 called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.”
Democratic coalition sues Trump administration
The administration had also been sharing enrollee information with immigration authorities to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in its deportation efforts. Subsequently, at the beginning of August, the Department of Health and Human Services was ordered by a judge to stop sharing enrollee information.
Additionally, New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of more than twenty Democratic attorneys general who are suing the Trump administration over its recent policies related to verification and immigration status.
“For decades, states like New York have built health, education, and family support systems that serve anyone in need,” James stated last month. “These programs work because they are open, accessible, and grounded in compassion. Now, the federal government is pulling that foundation out from under us overnight, jeopardizing cancer screenings, early childhood education, primary care, and so much more.
This is a baseless attack on some of our country’s most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand.”