Effective July 1, people applying for Medicaid must document their citizenship with actual documentary evidence, rather than merely checking a box on a form, in compliance with requirements established by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. In many instances, a single document, such as a passport or certificate of naturalization or U.S. citizenship, will be enough to establish both citizenship and identity. Secondary documentation, such as a U.S. birth certificate, will establish proof of citizenship, but individuals will also need evidence of identity, such as a driver’s license. Additional types of documentation, such as school records, may be used for children. Current beneficiaries will not lose benefits while they are making a good-faith effort to provide documentation to the state. The new regulations have been criticized as being overly burdensome for poor people who may not have received birth certificates or for immigrants who cannot show legal residency papers. In California alone, about 650,000 people who are entitled to Medicaid benefits may not have the proper documentation to continue receiving benefits, according to a report by the California Budget Project cited by the San Francisco Chronicle.
