Oregon Study Finds Snags in New Medicaid Sign-Up Rules

Oregon residents who were born in California faced more problems obtaining documents to show that they are U.S. citizens than other Oregon residents applying for or renewing their Medicaid coverage, according to a new study, the Oregonian reports.

Under the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, states must verify the citizenship of applicants for Medicaid. The law is intended to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving health care services for which they are ineligible through Medicaid.

The Oregon Department of Human Services evaluated the experiences of 125,000 Oregon households where people had to verify their citizenship as part of the Medicaid application or renewal process. About 200,000 state residents were included in the study, which contained data from September 2006 to February 2007.

The study found that 99% of the residents were able to supply the necessary documentation. As a result of the requirement, 1,011 Oregon residents from 708 households were denied enrollment in Medicaid. In those 708 households, 415 included other family members who were permitted to enroll in Medicaid (Hammond, Oregonian, 5/14).