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By Elyse Apel, for The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A multi-state coalition is suing to keep Medicaid enrollment information away from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Colorado and California joined 18 other states, almost all Democrat-run, in the lawsuit. The coalition is arguing that the mass transfer of this data violates the law by exposing confidential information, which included immigration status.
“The personal healthcare data collected about Medicaid beneficiaries is confidential, to be shared only in narrow circumstances that benefit public health and the integrity of the Medicaid program,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “There’s no reason to share this sensitive data with immigration or law enforcement agencies. We’re suing to protect Colorado’s Medicaid program and the health and welfare of the people it serves.”
The coalition is suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over HHS’s June decision to provide ICE access to Medicaid data.
The government claims the data transfer was made “to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.”
“[Trump] promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries,” said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”
Currently, though federal law does not allow illegal immigrants to enroll in non-emergency Medicaid, data from the Congressional Budget Office showed that at least 1.4 million illegals are enrolled in taxpayer-funded programs, including Medicaid. This is because some states, such as California, Oregon and Colorado, have opted to extend Medicaid eligibility to illegal immigrants.
Republicans argue illegal immigrants should not be eligible for any Medicaid services.
“There are 21,000 illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded health care in Colorado. That’s money that could be going toward care for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colorado. “Republicans are fighting to provide care for the most vulnerable who need it … not illegal immigrants.”
The lawsuit, which was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, argues that HHS’s decision to transfer the data was unprecedented and carries “serious consequences.”
“In the seven decades since Congress enacted the Medicaid Act to provide medical assistance to vulnerable populations, federal law, policy, and practice has been clear: personal and private healthcare data collected about beneficiaries of the program is confidential,” it states. “Plaintiffs bring this action to protect their state Medicaid programs, and to prevent them from being used in service of an anti-immigrant crusade, or other purposes unrelated to administration of those programs.”
Weiser’s office added to that, stating in a press release that this move is “creating fear and confusion” about the prospect that that information might be used for a “sweeping database for mass deportations and other large-scale immigration enforcement purposes.”
While the coalition says it is pursuing the lawsuit for the protection of personal data, they’ve also highlighted concerns about losing federal funding if illegal immigrants begin unenrolling from Medicaid preemptively.
“States will also ultimately bear the negative public health costs associated with reduced utilization of health care,” the lawsuit states. “Meanwhile, the public will suffer irreparable damage due to increased morbidity and mortality.”
Colorado and California are joined in the lawsuit by Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The coalition is requesting the court enjoin HHS from transferring Medicaid data to DHS or any other federal agency and enjoin DHS from using this data to conduct immigration enforcement.
Elyse Apel is a reporter for The Center Square covering Colorado and Michigan. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Elyse’s writing has been published in a wide variety of national publications from the Washington Examiner to The American Spectator and The Daily Wire.
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Categories: Law Enforcement, National News
I am sure this is partially because the State wishes to continue providing non-citizens with Medicaid benefits. HHS policy now states that Medicaid benefits can only be paid out to US citizens, not non-citizens. The State pays Medicaid benefits to a large number of non-citizens and working age people that do not work full time.
So ICE is out, for discussion purposes. With all the resources available in the Federal Govt, any reasonable person would say, “Well, grab whomever is available and get the
work done”. I see nothing difficult about that concept at all, and let them continue to sue. The U S and VT governments could be sued by anyone who is being shortchanged when it comes to public safety, which is due to anyone who feels is in
dire need of that because there are thugs running around all over the state. It will take being unelected before these thug lovers wake up and start dealing with the problems they have helped to expand in Vermont. I have seen enough of this nonsense.
Thomas Sowell discusses the Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for eligibility verification and non-citizens. This topic starts about half way through this short podcast which is worth a listen.
https://youtu.be/ghAvDzpLZ1E?si=BfaNeHMb6ZBc8hp0
During the open-border Biden years, the illegal Mexican farmworkers here in VT took advantage of that to bring their wives and girlfriends here (illegally) from Mexico. Fast forward to now and guess how many children have now been born? The pregnant women were all plugged into healthcare services, thanks to the UVM Bridges to Health (Puentes a la Salud) program which links illegal workers to health and dental services and provides transport to said services through community volunteers. So the pregnant women and their subsequent kids have Medicaid now. They also have WIC. They are also plugged into a food shelf program which delivers free food and produce to them. And in spite of their men netting an average of $750+ a week and living rent free on the farm, somehow none of that seems to be taken into consideration when deciding the amount of benefits they receive. Citizens who seek assistance are scrutinized; somehow, they are not subjected to the same level of analysis.
Another example of Socialism. I’ll say no more.
I am so sick of Montpelier Thieves spending my tax dollars on frivolous lawsuits to protect people who are in this Country illegally and have no right to any of these benefits and now have anchor babies! NO BENEFITS NO BIRTHRIGHTS!!
No info for ICE, no medicaid. Plain and simple….
In Vermont, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances is a fundamental right guaranteed by both the Vermont Constitution and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. If you feel that undocumented/ illegal squatters in the state shouldn’t be getting our tax dollars, then file a complaint with all of your state representatives, both house and senate. See the state website legislature.vermont.gov for their names and contact information. Note that calling the state house number 828-2228 will only get your call response delayed since they are not currently in session. Legislators often use that number in their contact information. It’s best to see them in person when possible.
““The personal healthcare data collected about Medicaid beneficiaries is confidential, to be shared only in narrow circumstances that benefit public health and the integrity of the Medicaid program,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.””
While I realize that some states have opted to extend Medicaid to non citizens, if Medicaid is a Federal program (which I believe it is), then determining who is benefiting from it (citizen or non citizen) is very much in keeping with maintaining the “integrity” of the program as stated above by the Colorado AG.
Medicaid was started to be a shared responsibility program between States and Federal Government with a 50/50% Split of financial responsibility for citizens of the States that could not afford healthcare on their own with less than current level $2,000 in assets. This has morphed into an 80% Federal 20% States share, with twisted logic programs with States being reimbursed for much of the 20% while maintaining control of admission to program. Their are reportedly 14 Million illegal non citizens on the rolls with some people, even citizens being on the rolls in multiple States.