Associated Press
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Medicaid rolls declined in many states after Congress imposed new documentation requirements, but most of the drop-off appears to be among people eligible for coverage -- not among illegal immigrants.

A law that took effect July 1, 2006, requires states to obtain evidence of citizenship and nationality when determining Medicaid eligibility.

The Government Accountability Office surveyed 44 states on the impact of the new rules. Twenty-two of those states reported enrollment declines, the GAO said yesterday. Most said the decline was due to delays in coverage or loss of coverage for eligible citizens.

Twelve states said the requirement had no effect on enrollment. Ten others did not know.

Medicaid is a program that provides health coverage to the poor.

In responding to the report, the federal agency that oversees Medicaid raised concerns that states did not provide data to document their conclusions. The GAO acknowledged that its review basically represents the perspective of state Medicaid officials.

"[They] stated the requirement has resulted in enrollment declines and has posed administrative burdens to states and individuals," the report said. "Further, our survey results indicate that the effects states experienced in the first year may continue at least to some extent in the future."