On July 1, a new rule went into effect that requires new Medicaid applicants and current beneficiaries re-enrolling in Medicaid to show proof of U.S. citizenship in order to collect benefits. Last month I wrote about the new law and followed up with a post about the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s intention to verify the citizenship and identity of beneficiaries in Texas.
At least one state will delay implementing the new law. North Carolina will push the effective date back as late as September. From the News-Record:
Bill Horne, the county’s Medicaid program manager, said state officials are trying to assess the additional costs to the county of verifying citizenship. He noted that there are almost always fees associated with verifying birth records.
Health care officials also worry about adding costs to an already overburdened health care delivery system…Doug Allred, a spokesman for Moses Cone Health System, said the hospital could face treating more uninsured people without getting the costs paid through Medicaid.
“If you’re not eligible, (we) don’t get reimbursed,” he said.
I wonder if Mr. Horne considered how much money the state would save in the long run by denying benefits to non-citizens and demanding reimbursement from the federal government for state expenditures for uninsured non-citizens?
