NYSACRA

DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT:  NEW CITIZENSHIP DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) signed by President Bush on February 8, 2006, contains a  provision, Section 6037, that does not change the law about who qualifies for Medicaid—eligibility for both immigrants and citizens—but it does change the burden placed on people applying for and reapplying for Medicaid.  The provision is a mandatory requirement placed upon states beginning on July 1, 2006.  It requires  that anyone applying for Medicaid as a U.S. citizen must submit appropriate documents to prove their citizenship status.

Click Here for the chart of documentation requirements in the US and how New York handles documenting citizenship.  Just a note for NY City agencies, NYC doesn’t cooperate on the issue of documenting citizenship and until now, it wasn't a federal law.  It will be up to NYS DOH to pursue the issue with NYC.  Other counties are expected to follow the law. (or at:
www.nysacra.org/nysacra/citizenship.pdf)

There is also Federal legislation sponsored by some New York Congressional Reps to repeal the new citizenship requirement.  Please see S. 2305, by U.S. Senator Akaka, and H. R. 5023, by Rep. Christensen and co-sponsored by Reps. Rangel, Owens and Meeks from New York.  Please contact your Congressional Reps and our two U.S. Senators, Schumer and Clinton to urge them to support these bills.

UPDATE:  (From CMS late today.)  "Citizenship documentation for SSI beneficiaries in states like NY and NJ that use the Social Security Data exchange (SDX) to make SSI individuals eligible for Medicaid does come through the SDX. In position 578 of the SDX ("alien indicator code") is a single position alpha-numeric code. If there is an A or a C in that position, that is acceptable proof that citizenship has been proven. If there is any other letter in that position, the state must ask the individual to separately prove citizenship for Medicaid purposes. For States that don't get the SDX from SSA, then the SSI beneficiaries must prove their citizenship."

We're told that this resolves the problem for the majority of SSI beneficiaries in New York.

NYS-OPTS UPDATE

NYSACRA has received the May OPTS update and posted it on our website.  Highlights include:

• Upcoming training on training in Web-based Services Recording Application for OPTS.
• OMRDD website availability of the “How To” Guide for Families and a general brochure about OPTS.
• The news that Karla Smith is transitioning to a new position in Central Office and Sue Ann Hart, from the Criminal Background Check Unit, will become the OPTS Unit leader.

ASSEMBLY PUBLIC HEARING ON PEOPLE WITH DUAL DIAGNOSES

NYSACRA will be providing testimony on the needs of New Yorkers that are diagnosed with developmental disabilities and a psychiatric disability on June 7, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. in Hearing Room B of the Legislative Office Building.  Please contact us with your thoughts or for more information about the hearing so that you can provide your own testimony.  Contact Forest Cotten at 518-449-7551 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  See www.nysacra.org for a copy of the Hearing Notice or Click Here.