Under Section 6036 of the DRA. citizens applying for or renewing their Medicaid coverage must provide "satisfactory documentary evidence of citizenship or nationality." The DRA specifies documents that are acceptable for this purpose and authorizes the HHS Secretary to designate additional acceptable documents. No Federal matching funds are available for services provided to individuals who declare they are citizens or nationals unless the State obtains satisfactory evidence of their citizenship or determines that they are subject to a statutory exemption. It is important to note that citizenship documentation requirements do not affect Medicaid rules relating to immigrantsthey apply to individuals claiming to be citizens. Most new legal immigrants are excluded from Medicaid during their first 5 years in the U.S. and undocumented immigrants remain eligible for Medicaid emergency services only. The legislation I am introducing would make several very important changes to current law to ensure that U.S. citizens receive the Medicaid to which they are entitled. First. the legislation would restore citizenship verification to a State option.
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