1805.020.10.20 Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Republic of the Marshall Islands – DSS Manuals

IM-28 May 10, 2024 ; IM-50 April 29, 2021

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau and Republic of the Marshall Islands have signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States, which allows them to enter and leave the U.S. at will.

As of December 27, 2020, in accordance with section 208 of the Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, these individuals are eligible to receive MO HealthNet benefits without applying for immigrant status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS- formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service). These individuals are considered Qualified non-citizens and are eligible for MO HealthNet, as long as all other eligibility requirements have been met.

Through amendments made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Congress amended 8 U.S. Code § 1641 to remove language that limited COFA migrants as qualified non-citizens only for the purposes of the Medicaid program. COFA migrants are eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as of March 9, 2024.

This policy does not apply to State Only funded programs. Refer to Appendix H – ME Codes Chart for a list of programs and their Title or Funding Source.