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Immigrant Eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), as amended, significantly changed the eligibility of non-citizens for Federal means-tested public benefits, including Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). As a general rule, only "qualified aliens" may be eligible for coverage. In addition, some immigrants cannot be eligible for coverage for 5 years from the date they enter the Country as a qualified alien. Finally, in determining the eligibility of some immigrants, the income and resources of the immigrant's sponsor must be counted in determining the immigrant's eligibility. The questions and answers provided on this website help to explain the current rules governing immigrants' eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP.

Qualified Aliens

To be eligible for Medicaid, SCHIP or other means-tested public benefits, a non-citizen must be a "qualified alien."

Who is a qualified alien? PDF 75K (Questions 1 - 2)

Five-Year Bar

Certain immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP for five years from the date they enter the United States in a qualified-alien status.

Questions and answers on the application of the five-year bar. PDF 145K (Questions 3 - 14)

Verification of Immigration Status

Questions and answers on how states can verify citizenship and immigration status. PDF 91K (Questions 15 - 22)

Contacts:
Sarah deLone (sdelone@cms.hhs.gov)
Robert Tomlinson (rtomlinson@cms.hhs.gov)

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Last Modified on Thursday, September 16, 2004