MaineCare Changes

Require Citizenship and Identity Verification

Letter of Notice to go out to Some MaineCare Members

Tracey Cousineau, LSW-C, Outreach Manager

03/01/2006

In 2006, Congress passed a new law, the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). This new law makes many people receiving or applying for MaineCare give documents to prove their citizenship and identity. Many states have already implemented these guidelines and are finding that people are dropping out of Medicaid coverage because of difficulties in providing the necessary documents. This law has affected the TANF and SCHIPP users the most as Medicare, SSI, SSDI, foster children and legal immigrants do not need to provide documentation. Maine has taken a number of steps to overcome the barriers related to documentation requirements of the DRA:

· Attempting to match everyone born in Maine with vital records to establish citizenship.

· Attempting to match ID’s through the Bureau of Motor vehicles.

· Maine will not deny MaineCare recipient services, if they are showing good faith in getting the documents.

· MaineCare recipients can phone their eligibility workers at DHHS for assistance.

· There is a new citizenship-identity hotline in place: 1-800-664-9491.

Maine DHHS will be sending out letters in the first week of April to MaineCare members that are up for review three months from that date that have not been verified. This letter will inform you about the new ruling, what they need for documents and where to go to for help if necessary. Maine has done a marvelous job in its response to the DRA requirements by conducting as much documentation matches with existing information systems as possible, and keeping in mind the needs of MaineCare members first. Unfortunately, automated matching doesn’t address the documentation requirements for all MaineCare members because of issues such as maiden names or aliases. Documents that can prove both citizenship and identity with one document are:

Passport, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (this is not the same as a birth certificate) or

Certificate of Naturalization

If you are not able to give us one of these documents, you (and each member of your household) will need to give us two different documents—one to prove citizenship and one to prove identity. Some documents you can use are:

Citizenship Identity

Original U.S. birth certificate Original Driver’s License or State ID

A Certification of birth issued by Native American Tribal Document

the (federal) Department of State School ID card with photo

School records (if age 15 and younger)

Day care records (if age 15 and younger)

Affidavit

Children age 15 and younger who do not have a document to prove identity can have a parent fill out an affidavit, which is included with this letter. This affidavit will prove identity for that child (or children).

This is not a full list of documents that will prove citizenship and identity. You may have another document that you can use. If you need extra assistance in understanding the requirements and how to get the necessary documentation please call your MaineCare case worker at DHHS, the help line at 1-800-664-9491 or Health Access Network at 794-6700.