New Initiative to Remove Illegal Immigrants from Public Health Programs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a significant push to eliminate illegal immigrants from public health insurance programs, which was shared on Tuesday.
As part of this initiative, CMS will start sending monthly registration reports to states. These reports will identify enrollees in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) who cannot confirm their citizenship or immigration status through federal databases. The databases in question include the Systematic Alien Verification (SAVE) program and Department of Homeland Security records.
The rollout of these monthly reports began on Tuesday, with the CMS making a clear announcement regarding this new strategy. Each state will receive individual reports over the upcoming month, and subsequently, they are expected to update the CMS on their verification efforts.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remarked, “We’re closely watching registrations to protect taxpayer funds and ensure that these important programs serve only those who qualify legally.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the CMS administrator, added, “Miscalculating funds means funds are lost to those truly eligible—this initiative aims to uphold the integrity of the program and protect taxpayer dollars.”
Since the start of President Trump’s second term, there have been multiple actions taken to restrict non-citizens from accessing public benefits reserved for American citizens.
One of the early steps in this new administration was an executive order in February, which instructed officials to pinpoint programs that allow illegal immigrants to receive federal benefits and take necessary actions to prevent this, in line with a 1996 law.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has been expanding its list of federal programs deemed public interest, growing the number from 31 to 44.
Recently, a controversial provision in a Republican spending package mandated states to verify the eligibility of Medicaid recipients at least twice a year.
Earlier, a judge had ordered Trump’s Health and Human Services Department to cease sharing immigrant information with authorities following concerns that this practice was aimed at supporting deportation efforts.
A coalition of over 20 Democratic Attorneys General, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the new policy requiring scrutiny of immigrant status for accessing federally-funded programs.
James stated, “For years, states like New York have built accessible and compassionate health and education systems. Now, the federal government is abruptly undermining these foundations, putting vital services at risk.”
