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Effective: March 1, 2010 |
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11.05ar7 - Verification of U.S. Citizenship (Archive) |
Archived: December 1, 2010 |
People who state they are U.S. citizens must cooperate with requirements to document their citizenship and identity if they are applying or eligible for certain types of Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) coverage. Before August 1, 2006, MHCP clients attested to U.S. citizenship by signing the application under penalty of perjury.
Note: All MHCP clients who are not U.S. citizens must cooperate with requirements to verify their immigration status for any type of MHCP coverage. See Verification of Immigration Status for further information.
Who Is Required to Document U.S. Citizenship and Identity?
Exemptions from Documentation Requirements.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Foster Care and Adoption Assistance.
Who Is Not Required to Document U.S. Citizenship and Identity?
When Must Documentation Be Provided?
A U.S. citizen is:
l A person (other than the child of a foreign diplomat) who was born in the United States or in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands who has not renounced or otherwise lost his or her citizenship.
l A person born outside of the United States to at least one U.S. citizen parent (sometimes referred to as a ’’derivative citizen’’).
People who are U.S. nationals are also considered U.S. citizens for purposes of Social Security and for citizenship documentation requirements. A U.S. national is a person born in American Samoa or Swains Island who does not derive U.S. citizenship from a parent or acquire it from a spouse.
Who Is Required to Document U.S. Citizenship and Identity?
People must document U.S. citizenship and identity as a condition of eligibility for the following programs (unless they meet one of the exemptions noted below):
l MinnesotaCare for families with children.
l Medical Assistance (MA), including long-term care (LTC), waiver programs and program IM.
l The Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP).
Exemptions from Documentation Requirements
Some people who would otherwise be required to document U.S. citizenship and identity are exempt from doing so if they meet any of the following conditions:
People who are enrolled in or entitled to enroll in Medicare are not required to provide citizenship or identity documentation. This information has already been verified by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Note: This includes people who are applying for or enrolled in the Medicare Savings Programs.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
People who receive or previously received SSI are exempt from citizenship and identity requirements. Workers may use a SVES query to confirm current or past receipt of SSI.
Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) Due to Disability
People who receive or previously received RSDI income due to disability (also known as SSDI) are exempt from citizenship and identity documentation requirements.
Note: People who receive RSDI retirement or survivors insurance benefits are not exempt from this requirement unless they meet another condition for exemption (such as being enrolled in Medicare).
Determine if clients received or are receiving RSDI based on a disability through one of the following:
n Request a copy of the most recent award letter from the client.
n Check if there is a BNDX interface or other information in the case record from SSA indicating a disability.
n Contact the Social Security Administration through your regular agency procedures.
Foster Care and Adoption Assistance
Children who are eligible for MA due to the receipt of either IV-E or non-IV-E foster care or IV-E adoption assistance benefits are exempt from citizenship and identity documentation requirements.
Newborns who qualify as auto newborns are exempt from citizenship and identity requirements. Do not require documentation of citizenship and identity for currently enrolled auto newborns. Also, do not require citizenship and identity documentation for applicants or enrollees who were previously eligible as auto newborns.
Who Is Not Required to Document U.S. Citizenship and Identity?
In addition to people who meet one of the exemptions noted above, do not require documentation of citizenship and identity as a condition of eligibility for the following programs:
l General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC).
l MinnesotaCare for adults without children.
U.S. citizens who are otherwise eligible for MA or federally funded MinnesotaCare, but fail to document their citizenship and identity, are not eligible for GAMC or for state-funded MinnesotaCare as an adult without children.
When people who are enrolled in GAMC or MinnesotaCare for adults without children become eligible for MA or for MinnesotaCare for families with children, request documentation of citizenship and identity and:
l Enroll them in MA or MinnesotaCare for families with children as soon as the documentation is received.
l Track for the return of their documentation. See Process for Documentation of U.S. Citizenship and Identity.
Example:
Mary is a U.S. citizen and is enrolled in MinnesotaCare for adults without children. On September 1 she provides proof that she is pregnant. She must document her citizenship and identity.
Action:
Change Mary’s eligibility to MA or MinnesotaCare for families with children back to the first of the month of conception or her MinnesotaCare begin date, whichever is later. Track for verification of citizenship and identity following standard guidelines.
Example:
George is a U.S. citizen who is enrolled in GAMC. George reports he is disabled, so is referred to the State Medical Review Team (SMRT).
Action:
Begin the process of citizenship and identity documentation as soon as the case is referred to SMRT. Do not wait until SMRT approves the disability to begin seeking documentation in order to expedite the process in case documentation is not readily available.
Approve MA eligibility for George after SMRT approves his disability and track for his citizenship and identity documentation.
When Must Documentation Be Provided?
Some people who are required to document U.S. citizenship and identity may not need to do so at initial eligibility. Require documentation for these people as noted below.
l Obtain documentation at the first renewal for people whose MA eligibility is based on receiving Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) if their citizenship and identity cannot be documented through a SVES query.
For all other applicants who state they are U.S citizens but fail to submit documentation:
l Request verification of U.S. citizenship using the Request for Proof of Citizenship and Identity (DHS-4807).
l Approve the appropriate health care program while documentation is pending.
Exception: Do not approve health care coverage until the client submits verification of citizenship if the verification was previously requested and the applicant failed to provide it.
l If verification of citizenship is not received within two months of the request for the verification, send a letter to remind the applicant to provide the information within 30 days. Send the Second Request for Proof of Citizenship and Identity (DHS-4940).
l If the enrollee does not respond to the second request within 30 days and is not cooperating with obtaining the documentation, close coverage with a 10-day notice.
See Acceptable Documentation for more information about this process.
Note: Treat new household members as applicants for purposes of these documentation requirements.
For enrollees, obtain citizenship and identity documentation at their annual renewal if documentation is not already in the case record. Enrollees who are not able to provide the required documents must sign the Authorization to Request Birth Records (DHS-4841) giving permission for the agency to contact third parties to obtain documentation.
l Send the Request for Proof of Citizenship and Identity form (DHS-4807).
l Process renewals within the processing period if enrollees are otherwise eligible.
Do not terminate eligibility as long as an enrollee is cooperating in obtaining documentation.
For MA for Breast/Cervical Cancer and Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP) enrollees, request verification of citizenship following standard procedures when enrollees file an application for ongoing coverage and declare that they are U.S. citizens after the presumptive eligibility period.
For further information, see:
Acceptable Documentation of U.S. Citizenship and Identity.
Process for Documentation of U.S. Citizenship and Identity.