Government
GAO: Medicaid citizenship rule hurts access for eligible people
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 20, 2007
A Government Accountability Office analysis of the effects of a Medicaid citizenship regulation implemented in July 2006 found enrollment declines in 22 states due to the rule's documentation requirements. Most states that reported a decrease attributed it to delays or losses of coverage for people who appeared to be eligible citizens.
Forty-nine states responded to the survey, but one response was incomplete and four states had not implemented the documentation rules as of January. Of the remaining states, 12 reported no effect on enrollment and 10 said they did not know the rule's impact. The full report, in pdf, can be accessed online (link). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/08/20/gvbf0820.htm.
