Oakland County Clerk/Register Ruth Johnson Assists with New Medicaid Documentation Program
Oakland County, Michigan, Tuesday, April 3, 2007 -- Ruth Johnson, the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, said today her office is doing everything it can to help Oakland County Medicaid recipients meet new federal documentation requirements.
"We've been working with public agencies for months to ensure we can provide birth certificates for those Medicaid recipients and applicants who need them to prove their U.S. citizenship," Johnson said. "Hopefully, this will ease the burden on people who truly deserve Medicaid and also stops abuse of the system by people who are not entitled to those benefits."
Effective April 1, Medicaid applicants in Michigan must provide proof of U.S. citizenship as required by the federal U.S. Deficit Reduction Act of 2006. Documentation that may be used ranges from U.S. passports to birth certificates. Current Medicaid recipients will eventually need to prove their citizenship as part of the re-determination process.
The Oakland County Clerk's Office, as part of the Oakland County Human Services Community Collaborative Council, has agreed to provide birth records, at no cost*, to caseworkers at local agencies trying to assist Medicaid applicants or recipients born in Oakland County in securing those benefits. There are approximately 110,000 individuals who receive Medicaid benefits in Oakland County.
The OCHSCCC includes the Oakland County Health & Human Services Division, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services-Oakland, the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority and the Area Agency on Aging.
Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries who are age 16 and above must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Local health officials have said Medicaid beneficiaries may continue to receive their Medicaid benefits while they are demonstrating a good-faith effort to document their citizenship. Those unable to document their citizenship will be disqualified from receiving Medicaid benefits.
Primary documentation for citizenship includes:
Other forms of documentation include:
-
A certified birth certificate
-
Final Adoption Papers/Decree
-
Military records that show place of birth
-
Certification of Report of Birth
-
Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America
-
Evidence of civil service employment by the U.S. government prior to June 1, 1976
"People who are entitled to those benefits should certainly get them, but Medicaid fraud simply can't be tolerated," Johnson said.
*Please note: Oakland County will provide copies of birth records at no cost ONLY to caseworkers trying to assist Medicaid applicants in proving their U.S. citizenship. Administrative copies will be provided directly to those caseworkers. Medicaid applicants who come directly to the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office will be charged the standard fee of $15.
|
