New Medicaid Rules Deprive Citizens, Not Just Immigrants

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 01:29:00 AM EST
Tags: immigrants (all tags)

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In its never-ending battle against the undocumented among us, Congress enacted the Deficit Reduction Act. The goal was to deprive undocumented residents of Medicaid. But, it's also depriving U.S. citizens.

Under a 2006 federal law, the Deficit Reduction Act, most people who say they are United States citizens and want Medicaid must provide “satisfactory documentary evidence of citizenship,” which could include a passport or the combination of a birth certificate and a driver’s license.

Some state officials say the Bush administration went beyond the law in some ways — for example, by requiring people to submit original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency.

“The largest adverse effect of this policy has been on people who are American citizens,” said Kevin W. Concannon, director of the Department of Human Services in Iowa, where the number of Medicaid recipients dropped by 5,700 in the second half of 2006, to 92,880, after rising for five years. “We have not turned up many undocumented immigrants receiving Medicaid in Waterloo, Dubuque or anywhere else in Iowa,” Mr. Concannon said.

Stupid is as stupid does.

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New Medicaid Rules Deprive Citizens, Not Just Immigrants | 9 comments (9 topical)

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they will say (none / 0) (#1)
by Jen M on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 06:42:30 AM EST

we need a national ID card

Don't you mean (none / 0) (#2)
by Che's Lounge on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 08:46:23 AM EST

racist is as racist does.

It's much easier for lazy bigots to pick on defenseless brown people than those mega businesses that import them by the truckload, and fight any organized labor movements that would decrease illegal immigration.

There's an old old saying in medicine. Don't treat what you see. Treat the underlying problem. IOW, often times a bruise on the forehead does not need ice. It needs brain surgery.

But nothing satisfies the masses more than a great game of immigrant Whack-a-Mole.

Someone just charged us 700 mill for a wall (as if that would cover it). Anyone seen it yet?

another in a long history of (none / 0) (#3)
by cpinva on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 09:50:14 AM EST

"law of unintended consequences" moments.

although, knowing the people behind this legislation, i have to wonder how many of these consequences actually were unintended?

: the consequenses might (none / 0) (#6)
by Jen M on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 11:53:20 AM EST

really be unintended in some places. A friend of min e from appalachia who is not all that old has no 'official' "birth certificate". There was some sort of local oh-hey-they-have-a-kid certificate but no official doccument.
I hear its gotten better since then. I certainly hope so.

Not a surprise (none / 0) (#4)
by David at Kmareka on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 10:28:24 AM EST

As I noted in a post on my own blog, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned last year that the change in Medicaid regulations would adversely impact U.S. citizens. This was not an "unintended consequence" but an ignored one.

The destruction of the social contract (none / 0) (#5)
by profmarcus on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 11:30:26 AM EST

the entire 6+ years of king george's reign has been, among other abominations, devoted to destroying any implied or explicit social contract... and now, he's preaching compassion in latin america... how much hypocrisy can issue from one man...?

And, yes, I DO take it personally

Thinking cap time (none / 0) (#8)
by LonewackoDotCom on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 11:10:05 PM EST

As long as illegal aliens are allowed to abuse our social services, laws will be passed to try to prevent that. And, some citizens might get caught up in those laws.

So, we see that you need to think this through in more depth: there are only two ways to prevent the harm cited: design a perfect system that reduces abuses by illegal aliens, or reduce the numbers of illegal aliens here now.

I look forward to TL supporting both.

boy lone (none / 0) (#9)
by cpinva on Tue Mar 13, 2007 at 12:41:41 AM EST

nothing like restating the obvious. so, what exactly is your plan?

Citizens deprive themselves (none / 0) (#10)
by fafnir on Tue Mar 13, 2007 at 09:37:59 AM EST

Contrary to what this post and the slanted reporting in the article are attempting to infer, the new Medicaid law does take a fair and responsible approach to ensuring that limited services and resources are provided only to citizens and legal immigrants, but not to illegals.

The story shares few insights into the barriers at the state level, or on the level of effort expended by citizens to obtain documentation. Instead, the article is replete with gratuitous personal stories that do not explain why so many people have failed to comply with the new law in a timely manner.

What is clear from the piece is that the new program is not the problem; rather, it is really about how citizens have failed to act responsibly to obtain acceptable proof of citizenship (i.e., "passport or the combination of a birth certificate and a driver's license.").

Personally, my last two children were home births. We had no problem obtaining SSANs and birth certificates for them.

I suspect that these "problems" will diminish over time as people understand what they need to do to comply and act on it, and as states improve their processes for getting the credentials to citizens.