AP: Some Medicaid Citizenship Exemptions OK

[Eugene]

Some Medicaid Citizenship Exemptions OK

By KEVIN FREKING
The Associated Press
Thursday, July 6, 2006; 7:24 PM

WASHINGTON -- About 8 million people will be exempted from a new federal requirement
that they prove citizenship before receiving health care through Medicaid, federal
officials said Thursday.

The requirement calling for proof of citizenship went into effect July 1. It's the
subject of at least two lawsuits filed by people who claim that a lack of documentation
could cause scores of nursing home residents, the mentally ill and the destitute to lose
health coverage.

Those exempted from the documentation requirements often fit into the category of most
vulnerable, according to regulations to be issued by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services. They include about 6 million people who qualify for both Medicare and
Medicaid, and another 2 million aged and disabled people who get an income supplement,
called Supplemental Security Income, that helps them meet basic needs.

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"In most cases, these individuals have already gone through additional documentation
procedures," said Mark McClellan, administrator for CMS.

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Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601411.html