SEATTLE – 30 national and state organizations representing child welfare, health care, faith-based, philanthropic and labor sectors in America today warned officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that recent guidance to state Medicaid directors regarding citizenship-verification for the delivery of health care benefits could lead to the denial of critical medical services to children in foster care.
The organizations, through a comment letter created by Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on foster care, voiced their collective concern that new guidance from HHS could, effectively, mean that children in foster care placements would be denied immediate access to critical health and mental health services if they lack the appropriate citizenship-verification documents. In addition, the organizations were concerned that the new federal requirement would relinquish the federal government’s financial responsibility for funding Medicaid services for foster children, and transfer those costs to already over-burdened individual states.
“We have a responsibility to safeguard the well being of children in foster care across this country,” said William C. Bell, president and CEO of Casey Family Programs. “We are asking the Department of Health and Human Services to recognize that children in foster care are exempt from the pre-existing documentation requirements and, to continue to allow immediate access for foster children to critical health care and mental health services. Through no fault of their own, these children have found themselves in the care of our states. To deny them immediate access to health and mental health services because they cannot produce citizenship-verification documents is, at best, irresponsible. Our job is to give them what we’d give our own children – immediate access to high quality medical care.”
In short, the eligibility verification requirements in the Deficit Reduction Act’s (DRA) documentation amendments explicitly exempt children in foster care. Congress’ recently passed DRA legislation made modifications to the Medicaid program. Casey Family Programs, and those organizations supporting its comment letter, believe the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should adhere to the statute and ensure that children in foster care receive the necessary health care services under the Medicaid program.
Organizations supporting Casey Family Programs’ comment letter include: the National Education Association (NEA); Child Welfare League of America; National Association of Social Workers; Families USA; Voices for America’s Children; Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; National Association of County Human Services Administrators; and The Children’s Health Fund, among other national and state nonprofits and human service agencies.
Casey Family Programs operates across the country and collaborates with foster, kinship and adoptive parents to provide safe, permanent and loving families for youth in foster care. The foundation also works with counties, states, and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to improve services and well being for the more than 500,000 young people in out-of-home care.