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UPDATED: JANUARY 2011

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OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS

CITIZENS

GIS

10 MA/006

Interpretation: Natural born citizens and individuals who acquire citizenship through naturalization and who are residents of the State of New York may receive Medicaid, if otherwise eligible. For the Medicaid program, identity, citizenship and/or satisfactory immigration status must be documented. For the purposes of qualifying as a United States citizen, the United States includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. Nationals from American Samoa or Swain’s Island are also regarded as United States citizens for the purpose of Medicaid eligibility.

All persons who were born in the United States are, with rare exception, United States citizens. United States citizenship can also be acquired by naturalization or acquired by persons who are born in another country and whose parent(s) are citizens of the United States. Lengthy residence in this country or marriage to a U.S. citizen does not by itself bestow citizenship.

Individuals who are initially eligible for Medicaid as a “deemed” newborn are considered to have provided satisfactory documentation of citizenship and identity, by virtue of being born in the United States, and will not be required to further document citizenship or identity at any subsequent Medicaid eligibility redetermination/renewal.

Newborns processed through the existing newborn process are excluded from being sent for citizenship verification.

Applicants declaring to be U.S. citizens do not have to provide proof of citizenship as a condition of initial eligibility. The response from SSA will be displayed in the Welfare Management System as a Birth Verification Indicator (BVI). A BVI value of “1” is generated when a recipient’s allegation of citizenship is consistent with SSA data. No further action is required and no additional documentation of citizenship, identity or date of birth is required. If the SSA verification process fails to confirm citizenship and identity and the LDSS is unable to resolve any inconsistency, the A/R must be given 90 days to either authorize the LDSS to obtain verification of birth from Vital Records and provide the LDSS with identity documentation or provide the district with original documentary evidence to support their declaration of citizenship and identity.

(MRG)