House Committee Advances Anti-Immigrant Medicaid, CHIP Funding Rules
New policy limits federal support for unverified immigrants, impacting healthcare access.
WASHINGTON — The Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced Section 44110 under their budget proposal markup, targeting federal funding for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
This section prohibits federal financial participation in these programs for individuals without verified citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status, including during periods when verification is pending. The policy tightens existing rules to ensure federal funds support only verified eligible individuals.
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Currently, states can enroll individuals in Medicaid or CHIP immediately, allowing a 90-day reasonable opportunity period to verify citizenship or immigration status while receiving federal funds.
CHIP, a federal-state program, provides low-cost health coverage to children in families with incomes too high for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance, and in some states, it covers pregnant women. The new rule eliminates federal funding during these verification periods, though states may choose to fund coverage independently, potentially straining state budgets.
What this means
As of December 2024, total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment across the U.S. was approximately 78.5 million people. A 2023 post on X cited data suggesting 3.451 million non-citizens were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, though this figure lacks corroboration from primary sources and should be treated as inconclusive.
A 2022 Migration Policy Institute brief estimated that a significant portion of immigrant children (ages 0-18) with low-income families are eligible for these programs, but many remain ineligible due to federal restrictions based on immigration status.
Specifically, it noted that in states expanding access, 61.5% of eligible immigrant children were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP by 2011-12, compared to 21.2% in states with stricter policies, but exact enrollment numbers were not provide.
This change is expected to significantly affect immigrants, particularly children and pregnant women eligible for CHIP, by delaying or denying coverage until verification is complete.
Immigrants facing documentation delays may experience healthcare access gaps, increasing risks for uninsured families. States opting to cover unverified individuals without federal support could face fiscal challenges, potentially limiting such coverage and further impacting immigrant communities.
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Looking forward
Tonight, around 7 to 7:30 PM, the House Committee on Agriculture is supposed to release their markup, and tomorrow, at 2 PM, the Ways and Means Committee will release their markup at their hearing.
Stay tuned for more updates at Migrant Insider.