Washington State Sues Federal Government Over Medicaid Proof-of-Citizenship Rule For Newborns

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Washington state sued HHS in U.S. District Court over a federal regulation that permanently would require states to withhold Medicaid coverage for newborns until proof of citizenship is processed and approved, the AP/Seattle Times reports (Ammons, AP/Seattle Times, 3/6). Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) said the policy discriminates against infants born to low-income undocumented immigrants (AP/Seattle Times, 3/6). Many U.S. states have avoided implementation of the regulation, but Washington is the first to challenge its validity in court (Ward, Yakima Herald-Republic, 3/6). According to Gregoire, the regulation is illogical because the state already pays the costs of delivering the newborn and, by doing so, validates citizenship. She added that the U.S. Constitution is clear that a person born in the U.S. automatically is a citizen. Gregoire said the Medicaid application and approval process will delay care for newborns. In addition, many immigrant parents might avoid applying for Medicaid and instead seek care through EDs (McGann, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/6). "It's a bureaucratic morass, legally wrong, and I absolutely believe from a moral perspective, it's wrong, fundamentally wrong," Gregoire said. She added that the state will request that the court block the regulation in Washington until the issue is addressed in court. She said she does not expect sanctions against the state because it issued the suit (AP/Seattle Times, 3/6).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/64664.php