PM 03-01-01-b: Documentation of Citizenship for Medical

WAG 03-01-01-b

  1. Persons not required to document citizenship
  2. Newborns Whose Births Are Covered by HFS Medical Benefits
  3. SSA verification of Citizenship and Identity
    1. [new text] 90 day Reasonable Opportunity Period
  4. Acceptable Documents
    1. Good Faith Effort

Persons not required to document citizenship

The following are not required to provide evidence of citizenship or identity:

  • Medicare recipients,
  • SSI recipients, and
  • RSDI recipients.

Document of U.S. citizenship and identity is required for all other persons receiving medical assistance. This includes persons who received SSI or RSDI at one time and no longer receive it, and the spouse or child of a person receiving RSDI or SSI.

Newborns Whose Births Are Covered by HFS Medical Benefits

Babies born in the U.S. on or after July 1, 2006, to mothers covered by HFS Medical benefits for the newborn's birth are deemed to have met U.S. citizenship and identity documentation requirements. These newborns are not required to submit further documentation of citizenship and identity.

SSA verification of Citizenship and Identity

Social Security Administration (SSA) crossmatch information can be used to meet U.S. citizenship and identity documentation requirements for applicants and recipients of medical benefits. For persons who report to be a U.S. citizen and have a SSN, complete the SSA citizenship inquiry instead of requesting that they present proof of citizenship during the application or REDE process. new textIn IES, ensure that a citizenship Federal Data Services Hub Verification clearance is triggered for all persons who have an SSN and report to be a U.S. citizen.

revised textYou may also complete a manual query for persons reporting to be U.S. citizens (who have a SSN) in the following situations:

  • When an application is registered (for each person for whom citizenship and/or identity has not yet been documented).
  • At REDE for each person for whom citizenship and identity has not yet been documented.
  • When a person is being added to a medical case.

revised textA manual SSA citizenship inquiry is completed from the Wire Third Party Query (WTPY) screen. See WAG 22-14-03-e for instructions about how to complete the inquiry.

new text90 day Reasonable Opportunity Period

revised textIf the SSA inquiry response cannot verify citizenship, certify medical benefits if otherwise eligible. Allow the person a 90 day reasonable opportunity period to provide proof of citizenship.

Acceptable Documents

A person's citizenship only needs to be established one time. For reapplications, however, the documents used to establish citizenship and identity must be in the case record. If necessary, obtain a copy of the documents from the case record used in a previous case and file them in the case record used for the new case.

Do not accept photocopies from the client. Document that the certified copy or original was viewed and copied for the file. Some documents contain a statement "DO NOT COPY." Staff are permitted to copy and file these documents in the case record for the official purpose of establishing eligibility for medical programs. View the original or official certified copy, photocopy the document, and indicate in writing, in the case write-up or on the document, that the original or certified copy was viewed and photocopied.

Acceptable documents to establish U.S. citizenship are listed in WAG 03-01-01-b in order of reliability or preference. Request documents from the highest level available to the applicant or recipient. Primary Evidence documents establish both citizenship and identity. Secondary, third-level, and fourth-level documents establish citizenship only, and must be accompanied by identity verification; see PM 03-01-01-c.

Good Faith Effort

For persons who state they cannot provide the documentation needed, review the list of third and fourth level citizenship documents. If a person reports that they were unable to obtain the documentation within the revised text90 day reasonable opportunity period, determine if they made a good faith effort to obtain the documentation. A good faith effort is determined based on all the facts and conditions of each case. Examples of good faith effort include, but are not limited to:

  • person provides evidence showing that they ordered a copy of their birth certificate from the vital records agency of the state or county where they were born,
  • person reports to be a naturalized citizen who lost original documents in a fire and provides evidence that they requested the required document from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service.