Medicaid baby care requires citizenship papers

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New federal rules deem babies born in the United States to poor illegal immigrant parents no longer automatically qualify for Medicaid health coverage, a policy some doctors worry might deprive these newborns of vital preventive care.

The babies are American citizens by virtue of being born in the United States, even if their parents are in the country illegally.

The Bush administration's new policy requires that before these babies get Medicaid insurance, their parents must submit documentation demonstrating the infants' citizenship and apply for coverage under the program.

Medicaid is a joint state-federal government health insurance program for low-income people. Previously, a child born in the United States was deemed automatically eligible for Medicaid for a year after the mother got emergency care under Medicaid for the birth.

The policy, first implemented in July, is drawing criticism from some doctors and advocacy groups who worry that the new requirements could scare off illegal immigrants from seeking medical insurance for which their babies are eligible.

The policy change comes amid a national debate over illegal immigration.

"Since the mothers are illegal immigrants, they are not very likely to go to the Medicaid office to enroll their children because they're worried that they're going to get caught and deported," said Dr. John Lewy, a senior official with the American Academy of Pediatrics and retired pediatrician.

"The children are getting trapped by this," Lewy added.

Dr. Rick Kellerman, a family doctor in Wichita, Kansas and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said as a result of the policy, parents of these babies might not get them preventive care and early intervention for illness.

Because such care reduces the likelihood of major medical problems that are costly to treat, the policy might become hugely expensive for federal and state governments, Kellerman said.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that works with states to administer Medicaid, said the policy merely reflects eligibility requirements contained in a law signed by President George W. Bush in February.

"We have been in contact with state officials in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia and have been told by these officials that they knew of no cases where a newborn was denied care under Medicaid," agency acting administrator Leslie Norwalk said in a statement.

"Indeed, if any individuals or groups know of an instance where a newborn has been denied care, we want to know about it."

Lewy said Norwalk is not addressing the right question, adding, "I don't think there will be evidence that they're denied care. What I think is that they're not seeking care."