SOME NEWBORNS DENIED MEDICAID COVERAGE IN FOUR STATES
Pediatricians urge federal government to clarify policy

Washington, DC---Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia are now denying Medicaid health care coverage to babies born to undocumented parents. The states are complying with an interpretation of federal law issued in July that suggests states deny Medicaid payment for newborns of undocumented parents. This interpretation is wrong according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and should be clarified by the federal government.

"These states are punishing babies, who according to the U.S. Constitution, are citizens by being born here," said AAP President Jay E. Berkelhamer, MD, FAAP.

Undocumented immigrants and legal immigrants can be eligible for emergency Medicaid services, including labor and delivery. This eligibility also applies to their babies, who according to federal law receive a full year of automatic Medicaid coverage. Nevertheless, the federal government issued new policy in July suggesting that states deny coverage for these baby citizens.

The four states, and more could follow, are requiring mothers to apply for Medicaid on behalf of their newborns in order to document their citizenship.

"It's a process that can take months and immediately takes away insurance coverage for the babies," Dr. Berkelhamer said. "Newborns need well-child visits, immunizations and other preventive care in their early months. Families will definitely skip the visits, and that has health consequences for the babies."

The AAP, with five other national organizations, sent an Oct. 12 letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, urging the agency to alert all states that it has not changed its
policy on newborns. According to federal law, states should be instructed to deem newborns eligible for one year if born to mothers receiving emergency Medicaid.

"It must be remembered that the children in question are citizens born in U.S. hospitals whose births are already paid for by state Medicaid programs," the letter says. "Those parents that do brave the process and apply for Medicaid coverage for their children will experience delays in coverage, pending completion of the Medicaid application, if they are not scared away by the threat of deportation and separation from their children."

The other signatories are the March of Dimes, National Association of Children's Hospitals, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, and Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Medicaid is the largest children's health program in the country. Half of all Medicaid enrollees are children, but they make up less than a quarter of the program's cost.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.