NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell Examines Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirements

Report Shows New Requirements Burden Community Health Centers

Washington, D.C. - A report released today by the George Washington University found that new Medicaid requirements for documentation of citizenship and identity are disrupting coverage for families and burdening community providers with added bureaucracy. According to the report, entitled “An Initial Assessment of the Effects of Medicaid Documentation Requirements on Health Centers and Their Patients,” 90 percent of all community health centers report enrollment difficulties for patients.

“This report bolsters the case for repealing onerous new documentation requirements,” said Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “The burdensome rules actually harm U.S. citizens. They are delaying access to care for those who need it most and jeopardizing our already fragile safety net of providers.”

Community health centers are the nation’s largest source of primary health care for low income and medically underserved individuals, including those covered under Medicaid, which serves more than 14 million Americans. Nearly half of all Medicaid patients seen by these health centers faced challenges acquiring required documents. The new rules are contributing to delays and consuming considerable staff time as employees work with patients to compile the documentation necessary to meet the new requirements.

The report is funded by the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy and the RCHN Community Health Foundation. A copy of the full report is available at www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/healthpolicy/chsrp/downloads/Medicaid_Doc_Requirements.pdf.

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