Citizenship proof required for healthcare...slipped into Deficit bill. [View All]

[madfloridian]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/04/11/us_rule_demands_proof_of_citizenship_for_healthcare/

Born out of ongoing efforts in Washington to clamp down on illegal immigration, the new federal requirement compels anyone seeking Medicaid coverage to provide a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of identification in order to sign up for benefits or renew them. No such proof is required now.

The requirement was tucked into the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which President Bush signed into law earlier this year.

The measure was part of an effort to limit the skyrocketing growth of federal entitlement programs. It has surfaced as Massachusetts begins to implement its sweeping healthcare plan, which aims to bring health coverage to almost all of the state's uninsured, in part by enrolling those in Medicaid who are eligible but who have not signed up.

I can not believe this would happen in this country. Will affect the poorest among us.