Page 192

UPDATED: JANUARY 2011

629

OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CITZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS QUALIFIED ALIENS

REFUGEE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (RMA)

Description: A refugee is an individual who comes to the United States because he/she faces persecution or fear of persecution in his/her home country. New York State provides the services of resettlement agency case workers to help refugees in applying for short-term cash and medical assistance upon arrival in the United States. The program under which this service/support is provided is known as Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA).

Policy: The Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) Program is primarily limited to refugees who are single or childless couples (S/CCs) who are not living with a dependent child, are not pregnant, or certified blind or disabled and who:

• Are eligible for or receiving Safety Net Assistance (SNA); or • Are financially ineligible for Medicaid Under the S/CC category of assistance or FHPlus; and • Meet immigration status and identification requirements set forth below; and • Provide the name of the resettlement agency which resettled them, if he/she is a refugee or entrant; and • Are not full-time students in an institution of higher education, except where such enrollment is expected to be approved as part of an individual employability plan.

References: SSL Sect. 358 (3)

Dept. Reg. 373-2

ADMs 05 OTDA/ADM-01

INFs 10 OHIP/INF-2

06 OMM/INF-5

Interpretation: The term refugee includes the following groups: Refugees, Asylees, Cuban and Haitian Entrants and Amerasians. Aliens who are considered “refugees” for the purpose of Medicaid eligibility also include federally certified victims of a severe form of human trafficking, certain family members of certified trafficking victims, and Special Immigrant Visa Holders (SIV) from Afghanistan and Iraq.

(MRG)